Ukraine is waiting for arms deliveries – and is shelling Crimea

After nightly Russian attacks with missiles and drones, several fires broke out in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. The largest fire on a total area of ​​3,000 square meters broke out in storage rooms, the Ukrainian civil protection agency said on Saturday. The extinguishing work continued in the morning. According to preliminary information, four people were injured in the attack, including a child.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned of an imminent expansion of Russian attacks. “We are now facing a new phase of the war,” Zelensky said on Friday during a tribute to soldiers in the Khmelnytsky region, according to a video. He then added: “The occupiers are preparing to attempt to expand offensive operations. Together we must (…) do everything we can to thwart this Russian attack plan.”

From the perspective of Ukraine, which has been defending itself against a Russian war of aggression for more than two years, the situation on the front is currently very difficult. The Ukrainian military recently confirmed a Russian breakthrough not far from the town of Ocheretyne in the eastern Donetsk region. Billions of dollars in aid from the US, its most important ally, had been blocked for months by a domestic political dispute in Washington and was only released last week. Now Kiev hopes that the US weapons will arrive quickly. In addition, the attacked country repeatedly insists on more international support for air defense systems.

Ukraine attacks Crimean peninsula

Meanwhile, according to Russian information, Ukraine has again fired on the Crimean peninsula, which has been annexed by Moscow since 2014, with missiles supplied by the USA. The Russian Defense Ministry said on Telegram on Saturday morning that the anti-aircraft defense had repelled four ATACMS missiles.

This information could not be independently verified. The exact effects of the attack were not known. There was no official statement from the Ukrainian side. The Russian side, which has been waging a war of aggression against its neighboring country for more than two years now, often only reports supposed successes of its own air defense in the event of Ukrainian drone or missile attacks.

For the Russian army, Crimea is a staging area in the war of aggression against Ukraine. The supply of soldiers, weapons and ammunition runs across the peninsula. That is why Ukraine is trying to destroy Russian military targets in Crimea. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj is aiming to recapture the peninsula.