Ukrainian strikes on parts of the Russian-held Lugansk and Kherson regions resulted in the deaths of 26 people and injuries to dozens more on Friday, according to occupation authorities.
The strikes targeted regions that Russia claimed to have annexed in September 2022, despite not fully controlling any of them following a military campaign earlier that year.
In the southern Kherson region, a shop in the village of Sadove was destroyed, resulting in 22 deaths and 15 injuries, as per Vladimir Saldo, head of Russian occupation authorities in Kherson. He condemned the attack as a “vile murder of civilians,” attributing it to Western arms deliveries to Ukraine.
In Lugansk, Russian-appointed officials reported a missile strike on an apartment block in the city’s main area, resulting in four deaths and over 40 injuries. The strike caused significant damage to residential areas, schools, kindergartens, and a college, according to regional authorities.
The Russian defence ministry accused Ukraine of targeting civilian areas, alleging that the Kyiv regime deliberately fired missiles at residential districts in Lugansk. However, the ministry stated that Russian air defences intercepted four out of five missiles fired.
The attack coincided with claimed advances by Russian troops against Ukrainian forces, with the capture of the settlement of Paraskoviivka reported. President Vladimir Putin stated that Russia has gained ground in the east, capturing multiple towns and villages since the start of the year.
Additionally, in the central city of Nikopol, Russian shelling resulted in the death of a 71-year-old woman. Nikopol, situated on the Dnipro River, is under Russian control on the opposite bank.
The escalation in violence underscores the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia, with both sides continuing to engage in military actions despite international efforts to broker peace.
