According to Ukrainian sources, the Russian army attacked several regions in the east, south and west of the country on Thursday night – including Kiev. Residents of the capital reported in social networks of a violent explosion sound. Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed on Telegram impacts in the southern district of Holosiiv. In addition, according to Klitschko, there were two injured in another impact in the western district of Sviatoschin. There had been an explosion at a power plant, which is why 40 percent of Kiev's population is currently without heating.
In the southern region of Odessa, as well as in Kharkiv in the east of the country, the authorities also reported Russian attacks on energy facilities and power outages. "As a result of massive missile attacks, an object of regional energy infrastructure was hit and a residential building was damaged," wrote Odessa military governor Maxym Marchenko. In Kharkiv, Governor Oleh Synjehubow spoke of a total of around 15 attacks on his territory. The attacks would obviously have targeted important infrastructure. "According to initial information, a private residential building was also hit." Air alerts were declared throughout the country. Also in the cities of Zhytomyr, Vinnytsia and Rivne in the west and in Dnipro and Poltava in the center of the country, rockets hit, according to authorities. In the city of Solochiv in the Lviv Oblast, four people died, according to the governor there.
According to the operator Energoatom, the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant is cut off from the external power supply. "The last connection between the occupied Zaporizhia nuclear power plant and the Ukrainian power grid was interrupted as a result of missile attacks," Energoatom said on Thursday morning. Currently, the Russian-occupied nuclear power plant runs with the help of diesel generators. For months, Moscow and Kiev have accused each other of being responsible for attacks around and on the nuclear power plant. Europe's largest nuclear power plant is located in the Zaporizhia region, which has been declared annexed by Russia, not far from the front.
Ukraine, meanwhile, is planning its next steps in defending Donbass and the city of Bakhmut against the Russian attackers. President Volodymyr Zelenskyj said in his evening video address on Wednesday that he had spoken about this with the military and intelligence services. "The front line, our defense, the battle for Bakhmut and the entire Donbass. That's the top priority." However, he did not give details.
The President appealed to the community spirit of Ukrainians in battle. "It is very important that the front line is not a line on the map. It's people, it's resilience, it's combativeness, it's mutual support, it's mutual aid," Zelensky said.
On the orders of President Vladimir Putin, Russian troops invaded neighboring Ukraine more than a year ago. Polish President Andrezj Duda reaffirmed his country's readiness to cede Soviet MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine.
Is the long battle for Bachmut already a victory?
The Ukrainian General Staff reported on Wednesday evening continued Russian attacks on all sections of the front, especially in the industrial and coal district of Donbass in the east. The almost enclosed city of Bakhmut will also continue to be attacked. In addition to the regular army, the Russian side also deploys the private mercenary force "Wagner" there. There is always a tactical retreat of the beleaguered Ukrainians from the city. However, the Kiev leadership has decided to continue defending Bakhmut.
Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Malyar described the holding out of Ukrainian troops in Bakhmut as a success. "Everyone wants news of liberated areas, and that's called victory. But it is already a victory that our brave soldiers have destroyed the enemy and the strongest and most professional 'Wagner' units there for months," Maljar said on television. It is also a success that a large number of enemy forces are tied up and thus the offensive potential of the opponent is reduced. "That means you have to defend (further) at this point," Maljar said of the military leadership's adherence to Bakhmut.