War in Ukraine: a missile attack on Kharkiv, Valeri Gerasimov inspected the Russian forces… the situation

Une attaque de missiles russes sur la ville de Kharkiv, dans le nord-est de l'Ukraine, ce mardi 6 août. MAXPPP – SERGEY KOZLOV

Tous les jours, Midi Libre fait le point sur la situation en Ukraine. Ce mardi 6 août 2024, découvrez les dernières actualités autour de ce conflit.

Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov inspected Russian forces in Ukraine

Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov has inspected Russian forces in the combat zone in Ukraine, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday. Valery Gerasimov listened to reports from commanders and "set tasks for further actions", the ministry said, without specifying where and when the visit took place. Since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Valery Gerasimov has regularly visited troops on the front lines.

After a series of setbacks in the early months of the offensive, he can boast of a series of advances since Russian forces seized the eastern Ukrainian town of Avdiivka in February. In June, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Valery Gerasimov and former Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu for ordering attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine. Russia, which like Ukraine does not recognize the jurisdiction of the ICC, denies targeting civilians or civilian infrastructure.

A missile attack on Kharkiv leaves five injured

A Russian missile attack on the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv damaged a medical clinic and wounded at least five people on Tuesday, the regional governor said. Russian forces used an Iskander ballistic missile in the attack, Oleh Synehubov said on the Telegram messaging app. Dozens of cars and residential buildings as well as some administrative buildings were damaged, he added.

A fire also broke out in the city center of Kharkiv, local authorities said earlier. Russia has been pounding the city, which is less than 30 kilometers (19 miles) from its border, since it began its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Nationwide, Ukraine's air defenses said they shot down two Iskander-M or KN-23 ballistic missiles, two Kh-59 cruise missiles and 15 attack drones overnight Monday into Tuesday.

Several explosions struck the Ukrainian capital Kiev on Monday night, Reuters witnesses reported, but authorities said they intercepted the incoming missiles. The attack caused no damage but debris damaged windows of a residential building, offices and two gas stations in the area, Kiev regional governor Ruslan Kravchenko said. The governor of the southern Mykolaiv region said the air force had destroyed 13 Shahed drones over his region. The attack caused three fires that have since been extinguished. It also damaged three residential buildings, a recreation center and a utility building.

Russia says Ukraine launched cross-border attack

Russia on Tuesday accused Ukraine of launching a cross-border attack in the Kursk region, saying 300 troops and tanks were taking part in the offensive by Kyiv's troops. In a statement, the Russian Defense Ministry said it had deployed reinforcements to the area and that fighting was continuing, contradicting the Kursk region governor's earlier statement that it was over.

According to Governor Alexei Smirnov, the fighting claimed the lives of two Russian civilians, one from artillery fire and the other from a drone, and 18 others were wounded. The Ukrainian General Staff, in a regular briefing, reported Russian strikes on border villages in the Sumy region, across the border, but did not mention an offensive operation in that area. Reuters was unable to verify the claims by either side. A unit of Russian anti-Kremlin fighters has carried out several cross-border incursions over the past year.

Ukrainian “saboteurs” have tried to attack Russian territory, Moscow says

A Ukrainian “sabotage” group attempted to attack Russia's Kursk region before retreating in the face of Russian troops, the Russian Defense Ministry said Tuesday, after accusing Kyiv earlier in the day of preparing a border attack. Moscow had announced hours earlier the deployment of reservists to the southern border to repel an offensive by the Ukrainian army. In a subsequent statement, the Russian Defense Ministry referred to a failed operation by a sabotage group

 "After suffering losses, the Ukrainian sabotage group withdrew to its territory, while some of the militants tried to gain a foothold in the adjacent territory of the border, where they were blocked by units of the Russian army,", it said. Artillery fire, warplanes and drones were used by the Russian military to repel the attack, the Defense Ministry added. Kursk Region Governor Alexei Smirnov said the fighting had claimed the lives of two Russian civilians, one from artillery fire and the other from a drone.

For its part, the Ukrainian military's general staff reported Russian strikes on border villages in the Sumy region, without mentioning any attack by Ukrainian troops in the area. A unit of Russian anti-Kremlin fighters has carried out several cross-border incursions over the past year.