Six people have died and thirteen have been injured due to Russian strikes in the Donetsk region in Eastern Ukraine. Regional authorities claim that a Russian missile landed at an administrative building and a bus stop at the Ukrainian town of Myrnohrad, the town lies 50 kms as the crow flies from the Russian-held city of Donetsk. Four people died in this attack and 10 people were injured.
Donetsk region Governor Vadym Filashkin posted images from the impact sites showing badly damaged building facades and a bus with shattered windows. There was also a burnt car that appeared to have been thrown to the side by a blast.
A separate attack on an unnamed enterprise in the town of Kostiantynivka, northwest of Bakhmut, seized by Russian forces last year after months of battles, killed two civilians and injured three. Another attack, on the town of Lyman, further north, injured seven people.
Donetsk region, which Russian troops partially occupy, regularly comes under Russian shelling and air strikes. Moscow denies targeting civilians or civilian infrastructure in its invasion of Ukraine, although thousands of people have been killed.
Ukraine is struggling with a shortage of Surface-to-Air Missiles (SAMs) for its air defence systems as Russia’s aerial onslaught on Ukrainian energy infrastructure continues unabated. Ukraine is seeking Patriot missile systems that have helped Ukraine defend itself from Russia’s assaults.
The U.S. Congress passed USD 60 billion supplemental funding for Ukraine earlier this year. Ukraine is in urgent need as its ammunition reserves, especially those of artillery and air-defence, have been dwindling. Ukraine would receive ammunition for Patriot air defence system, National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS), Stinger anti-aircraft missiles from the United States. he U.S. will reprioritise planned deliveries of foreign military sales of Patriot and other missiles to go to Ukraine, which is in “desperate need” of more air defense capabilities amid its ongoing war with Russia. The Ukrainian forces will also get Additional High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and ammunition, 155mm and 105mm artillery ammunition, Tube-Launched, Optically-Tracked, Wire-Guided (TOW) and Javelin ATGMs besides AT-4 anti-armour rockets.
(With inputs from Reuters)
