Kyiv: A major Russian drone and missile attack on civilian areas of Ukraine killed four people and injured at least 27, officials said Tuesday.
Moscow’s army stepped up efforts to break through Ukrainian front-line defence in what could be the start of an anticipated spring ground offensive.
Russia fired almost 400 long-range drones at Ukraine overnight, Ukraine’s air force said, in its biggest attack in weeks. The onslaught continued into Tuesday morning as dozens of drones targeted the capital Kyiv, during daylight.
Russia also launched 23 cruise missiles and seven ballistic missiles at Ukraine during the night, hitting at least 10 locations across the country, according to the air force.
Ukrainian civilians have endured relentless barrages since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbour more than four years ago.
US-brokered talks between Moscow and Kyiv over the past year have brought no respite, with Russia rejecting Ukraine’s offer of a ceasefire, and in recent weeks, the Iran war has diverted international attention from Ukraine’s plight.
Russia intensifies front-line attacks
On the roughly 1,250-kilometre front line snaking along eastern and southern parts of Ukraine, the short-handed defenders have been bracing for a new offensive by Russia’s bigger army as the weather improves.
The Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine’s armed forces, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, said Russian troops in recent days have made simultaneous attempts to break through defensive lines in several strategic areas.
“Fierce fighting unfolded along the entire line of contact,” Syrskyi said Monday on the Telegram messaging app, with Russia launching 619 attacks in four days.
“The occupiers are attempting to bring up new units and are preparing to continue attacks,” Syrskyi said, adding that Ukraine had deployed reinforcements to counter the assaults.
It was not possible to independently verify the battlefield claims.
The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, said Syrskyi’s report backed up its assessment that Russia’s spring-summer offensive is now underway.
Russia escalated its strikes from March 17 and has moved heavy equipment and more troops to the front line, the ISW said late Monday.
Each year, as the weather improves, Russia has moved its grinding war of attrition up a gear. However, it has been unable to capture cities and has made only incremental gains across rural areas. Russia occupies about 20 per cent of Ukraine. That includes the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia seized in 2014.
Ukrainian soldier says front-line situation is tense but not critical
A Ukrainian soldier fighting near the city of Lyman in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, whose complete capture is one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s main invasion goals, said Russian forces have intensified assaults in recent days but failed to achieve a breakthrough, despite increasing bombardments and repeated ground attacks.
Russian troops had earlier sought to isolate Lyman by targeting logistics routes before escalating their offensive, according to the soldier, who gave only his call sign, King, in keeping with the rules of the Ukrainian military.
Ukrainian units repelled initial assaults, destroying advancing Russian columns and inflicting significant losses in armoured vehicles and personnel, he said.
In response, Russian forces have increased airstrikes on the town, including the use of powerful glide bombs. “The situation is tense, but not critical,” King said.
Drones allow Ukraine to fend off Russian ground attacks
Ukraine has developed advanced drone technology to make up for its shortage of infantry.
Amid the Middle East conflict, Kyiv is offering Ukraine’s battle-tested drone defences to the US and Gulf partners, hoping to trade that know-how for scarce Patriot air defence missiles it needs to fend off Russia’s barrages.
Ukraine has also used its domestically produced long-range drones to hit areas of Russia that support Moscow’s war effort. Russian air defence intercepted 55 Ukrainian drones overnight over Russian regions, the annexed Crimea and the Black Sea, the Russian Defence Ministry reported Tuesday.
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