The Russian attacks on the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv continue – shooting from the air and on the ground. An overview of events during the night and a look ahead to the day.
Following the deadly bombings of the border city of Kharkiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is demanding the right to use Western weapons against Russian territory. Many foreign politicians and organizations have expressed their condolences and condemned Russia, Zelenskyy said in his video address on Sunday. “It is important that this condemnation leads to appropriate consequences.”
According to official figures, more than 20 people have been killed in Kharkiv, eastern Ukraine, by Russian air bombing since Thursday. At the same time, the heavy bombing near Kharkiv, as in other parts of the front, continued on Sunday. The night into Monday began with another air raid warning in southern Ukraine. Among other things, the Ukrainian military observed a Russian Su-57 stealth bomber flying over the Black Sea. There was a threat of cruise missiles being launched, they said.
Ukraine has been fending off a Russian invasion for more than two years. Militarily, it is lagging behind, which is partly due to the several-month delay in Western arms aid.
Debate about the use of Western weapons against Russia
After the attacks on Kharkiv, Zelensky said that Ukraine not only needed more air defense, but also the right to fire its foreign weapons at Russian territory. “We see every concentration point of Russian troops. We know all the areas where Russian missiles and fighter jets are launched,” he said. It was a political decision to allow the preventive destruction of these forces before they attack Ukraine. “A decision that must be made.” In addition, the promised US F-16 fighter jets should be delivered more quickly.
The use of foreign weapons against Russian territory has long been debated in western donor countries. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called on member states to allow Ukraine to carry out such operations for self-protection. Great Britain has released the weapons it supplies for this purpose.
For the USA, Foreign Minister Antony Blinken recently said in Kiev that there is no ban, but that his country does not support this use. In Germany, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) opposes the use of weapons across the border into Russia. The reason for this is the fear that Germany could become a party to the war.
Heavy fighting in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk
According to the Ukrainian General Staff, Russian ground troops launched particularly intensive attacks northwest of the town of Avdiivka in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk on Sunday. The Ukrainian army cites the town of Pokrovsk as a reference point for this section of the front. This was the “hottest area” on Sunday, said Zelensky in his evening video message.
At the same time, he addressed the ongoing Russian offensive in the border area near Kharkiv, which has been going on since May 10. Russia is attacking the towns of Vovchansk and Liptsy, said Zelensky. “Our units, our soldiers, are doing a great job of fending off this Russian pressure.” The General Staff’s situation report stated: “The situation is under control. No loss of positions has been allowed.” This information could not initially be independently verified.
Medvedev threatens Poland with “radioactive ash”
In Moscow, Russia’s former President Dmitry Medvedev threatened Poland with “radioactive ash” following comments by Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski. Sikorski had told the British newspaper “The Guardian” that the US would probably respond to a Russian use of nuclear weapons against Ukraine with a conventional strike against the Russian army. According to US media reports, such a warning was sent from Washington to Moscow in the fall of 2022.
The US did not say anything like that “because they are more cautious” than the Poles, Medvedev wrote on the social network X. “If Americans hit our targets, it means a world war, and a foreign minister, even of a country like Poland, should understand that,” wrote the deputy head of the Russian Security Council. Poland is also ready to accept US nuclear weapons. “Warsaw will not be left out and will certainly get its share of radioactive ash. Is that what you want?” Medvedev added.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
