Russian strikes in Ukraine: one dead in the south, 34 injured in the east

Moscow fired new salvoes of missiles into Ukrainian cities in the early hours of the day, which Kyiv forces say they mostly neutralized.

“The Russian army targeted the living quarters of populated areas of the (Kherson) region and an official building in the center (of the city) of Kherson,” the head of the local military administration said on Telegram. , Oleksandr Prokudin.

“As a result of this Russian aggression, one person died and three others, including a child, were injured,” he added, saying that the city of Kherson was bombed eight times in some 24 hours.

In the east, in the Pavlograd district, Russian missile fire injured at least 34 people, including five children, the youngest being an eight-year-old girl, Serhiy Lyssak, the head of the the Dnipropetrovsk region.

In the city of Pavlograd, “19 multi-storey buildings, 25 private houses, six schools and preschools, as well as five shops were damaged,” he added .

During the night from Sunday to Monday, “around 2:30 am” (23:30 GMT), “the Russian invaders attacked Ukraine with their strategic aviation” which fired “18 cruise missiles”, of which 15 were destroyed , Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Army Valery Zaluzhny said on Telegram.

Over the winter, Ukraine strengthened its anti-aircraft defenses, including with American Patriot systems, after having is appealing to its Western allies to help it repel bombings on its energy network.

Russia still controls part of the Kherson region after withdrawing from the eponymous city last November.

Most of the fighting in Ukraine in recent weeks has been concentrated in the eastern region of Donbass, in particular the city of Bakhmout.

The Russians have very gradually advanced in this city largely destroyed industrial site, which they claim to control about 80%.

The commander of the Ukrainian ground forces, Oleksandre Syrsky, for his part said on Monday that his men had carried out small counterattacks there.< /p>

Russia “is failing to take (full) control of the city,” he said, noting that the situation there was still “quite complicated.”