At least two people have been killed in the street after Russian artillery struck the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, officials said, as the 21-month war drags into another winter.
Regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin posted a video of the attack’s aftermath, showing two bodies in a city centre street and blood near holes in the road caused by the shelling.
The head of the Kherson city administration, Roman Mrochko, added that a health facility was also struck, leaving two medics injured.
Russian attacks on the Dnieper river port city have become routine since the Ukrainian army liberated the city last year, with civilian deaths reported almost daily.
With the war’s front line apparently static along most of its more than 600-mile length, and amid wintry weather, both sides in the war have used aerial bombardment to keep up the military pressure.
Russian authorities said they repelled another heavy Ukrainian drone attack on Crimea, while Ukraine officials said air defences responded to drones and missiles launched by the Kremlin’s forces.
Neither side immediately reported any other casualties or damage.
The Russian defence ministry said that air defences destroyed 22 Ukrainian drones and intercepted 13 more over Crimea and the Sea of Azov early on Tuesday.
Shortly after, it added that another four drones were destroyed and two were intercepted.
On International Volunteer Day, we honor Ukrainian civilian volunteers. Symbolically, this day falls on the eve of Ukraine's Armed Forces Day. Because our civilian volunteers are essentially another branch of our army and another source of strength for us.
Our guard of the… pic.twitter.com/X4TF2q6aor— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) December 5, 2023
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Russian officials commonly say drones were destroyed when they were shot down and say they were intercepted when electronic jamming is used.
Military and logistics sites in Russian-occupied Crimea, annexed by Moscow in 2014, have been a frequent target for Ukraine since the full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Last month, Ukraine launched one of its biggest drone attacks on Crimea, according to Russian officials, though they did not mention any casualties or damage.
Ukraine’s air force, meanwhile, said it downed 10 out of 17 Shahed drones that Russia launched during the night. Moscow’s forces also unleashed six S-300 missiles, the air force said.
The UK’s Ministry of Defence said last month that Russia could target Ukraine’s power grid again, just like last winter when Moscow aimed to break local resistance by denying civilians home heating and running water.
Amid fears Ukraine’s war effort may falter unless it gets continued Western support, Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskiy was to address US senators by video later on Tuesday.
The Biden administration wants Congress to approve the White House’s nearly $106 billion request for funds for the wars in Ukraine, Israel and other security needs.
