After fighting in the Russian region of Belgorod on the border with Ukraine, the situation remains tense on Wednesday. The Russian authorities gave the all-clear, but later confirmed a drone attack. However, only one car was damaged. Meanwhile, there are still conflicting reports on the control of the largely destroyed Ukrainian city of Bakhmut.
The authorities of the Belgorod region have again lifted the state of alert imposed with reference to fighting. The legal state of an "anti-terrorist operation" has ended, regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on the Telegram online service.
Later, Gladkov confirmed reports of an explosion in Belgorod on Tuesday evening. According to his account, an explosive device was dropped on the roadway by a drone. A car was damaged, the governor wrote, and published a photo of a vehicle with dents and cracks in the windshield. According to preliminary data, no one was injured.
According to Russia, dozens of "representatives of Ukrainian military formations" have been fighting in the Belgorod region since Monday. Ukraine denied having anything to do with attacks. In Kiev, it was pointed out that volunteer corps consisting of Russian citizens had claimed responsibility for the attacks.
According to Russia, more than 70 Ukrainian terrorists were killed and four armored vehicles and five off-road vehicles were destroyed during fighting in the Belgorod region. The information could not be verified. The Russian authorities also spoke of 13 injured residents. One man was killed.
EU military aid to Ukraine: 220,000 projectiles delivered
The Ukrainian Armed Forces have already received about 220,000 artillery shells and mortar shells through the new EU initiative for ammunition deliveries. This was announced by a spokeswoman for EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell after a meeting of defence ministers in Brussels. In addition, according to their information, around 1300 missiles were delivered, including anti-tank missiles, anti-ship missiles and anti-aircraft missiles.
The EU states had promised Ukraine in March to provide Ukraine with one million new artillery shells and missiles for the defensive war against Russia within twelve months. They are to be organised from the Member States' holdings, but in the future also through new joint procurement projects.
Zelensky plans for more marines
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wants to expand the country's marine infantry. With the formation of a Marian infantry corps, new brigades are to be added to existing units, Zelensky said in his evening video address on Tuesday. "And we will equip them with modern weapons and equipment," he added. Zelensky had previously visited Ukrainian marines at the front.
According to official information, Zelensky was on the road during Tuesday's visit to the front in the region between the villages of Wuhledar and Maryinka. Both places are considered hotspots of war and are fiercely contested. Ukraine has been defending itself against the Russian war of aggression for 15 months.
"Our troops control the southwestern outskirts of the city in the "plane" district," Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar said on Tuesday about the situation in Bakhmut, which has been heavily contested for months. Fighting continues in the suburbs. There, the Russian troops had partly gone over to defense. The Ukrainians had made "insignificant" territorial gains north and south of Bakhmut. Moscow had announced at the weekend the capture of the now completely destroyed city.
Russia: Military plane wanted to intercept US bombers
Russia reported on Tuesday of an incident in which a military plane was sent to intercept two US bombers in the event of a border crossing. The Pentagon spoke of a long-planned exercise in Europe. The interaction with the crew of the Russian aircraft was "safe and professional," said a spokesman for the US Department of Defense.
According to military sources, the Russian Su-27 interceptor took off after two foreign aircraft approached Russian airspace over the Baltics, according to Itar-Tass and Interfax news agencies. They were identified as U.S. supersonic B-1B bombers. The planes would then have moved away from Russian airspace again.
There could be new information on the situation in the Russian region of Belgorod and the embattled Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin is expected in Beijing during his visit to China, having only been to an economic forum. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is travelling to Romania, which borders Ukraine, for a three-day state visit.