ODESSA: On Thursday, Ukraine claimed to have fired missiles at Russia’s flagship in the Black Sea, causing “severe damage” to the battleship.
Russian claims Ukrainian helicopter raids on residential structures in the western Bryansk area injured residents, even though Ukraine attempted to resume civilian evacuations ahead of an expected military operation in the east.
It refuted the charge, claiming Russia was conducting “terror attacks” on Ukrainian land to incite “anti-Ukrainian hysteria”.
Russia’s guided-missile cruiser Moskva has been leading a naval assault on Ukraine’s southern beaches and interior for over seven weeks, prompting charges of genocide from US President Joe Biden.
After a fire broke out aboard the Moskva, munitions detonated on board, causing “serious damage”, according to the Russian official media. Two Odessa authorities acknowledged that Ukrainian soldiers had hit the ship.
On Telegram, Odessa military administration spokesperson Sergey Bratchuk stated the damage was caused by domestic ‘Neptune’ cruise missiles. Odessa’s governor sent a similar message.
The Russian defence ministry stated the fire was out, and the ship was still floating with its main missile arsenal intact.
Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said Thursday that civilian evacuations would begin in the east and south after a day-long halt because of Russian fire.
The UN says over 4.7 million Ukrainians have fled their nation in 50 days since Russia invaded. It stated about 80,000 individuals had departed the nation in one day.
After the US announced an $800 million military aid package to Kyiv, the flagship fire occurred hours after the US announced heavy weapons particularly designed for an expected large ground operation in Ukraine’s east.
Russia has refocused on the east after withdrawing from northern Ukraine earlier this month after failing to grab the capital.
In the Donbas, Russian-backed rebels dominate the Donetsk and Lugansk provinces, allowing Russia to build a firm southern corridor to seize Crimea.
For fear of escalating the fight with nuclear-armed Russia, the Pentagon chose weapons that would “give them a bit more range and distance.”
In the besieged city of Mariupol, Russia’s Black Sea navy, commanded by the Moskva, has been blockading the port.
Over 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers surrendered in Mariupol, according to the report.
In the last hostage exchange, Russia returned 30 Ukrainian POWs. Vereshchuk stated there were 17 troops, 5 officers, and 8 civilians.
Works at The Truth International Magazine. My area of interest includes international relations, peace & conflict studies, qualitative & quantitative research in social sciences, and world politics. Reach@ aimen.bukhari@tti.org.pk
