The war in Ukraine: the arrival of Russian forces to the second city in the country, and Kiev witnesses new bombings – International

On another morning (early morning in Brasilia) marked by fighting and bombing, Russian troops continued to advance on Ukrainian territory, attacking the country’s strategic infrastructure. Kiev was bombed again and Russian forces besieged cities in the south of the country – which also entered Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city.

Ukrainian authorities have confirmed the “incursion” of Russian forces into the center of Kharkiv, a city of 1.4 million people located northeast of Kiev. “There was an incursion of light vehicles by the Russian enemy into the city, including its central part,” said Oleg Senegubov, who is in charge of the regional administration. “The Ukrainian armed forces are eliminating the enemy,” he added.

Videos circulated on social media – as well as by government officials such as Interior Ministry adviser Anton Hirashchenko – showed Russian armored vehicles driving down a city street.

Earlier, the office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Russia had blown up a gas pipeline in Kharkiv. The government issued an alert to residents to protect themselves from the smoke, and to cover windows with a damp cloth.

The Russian offensive also advanced in the south of the country. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the army besieged two major cities in the region, Kherson and Berdyansk, which together have a population of about 400,000.

“In the past 24 hours, the Russian armed forces have completely surrounded the cities of Kherson and Berdyansk,” the TASS news agency quoted the ministry as saying.

And in Kiev, huge explosions were recorded at a fuel depot south of the capital, and the sky lit up at dawn on Sunday 27 (Saturday night in Brazil).

The cause of the eruptions is not clear. Earlier, Ukrainian authorities alerted residents to the possibility of imminent bombings from Russiathe sirens sounded in Kiev.

The CNN team recorded two large explosions southwest of the capital. Pictures taken by the NBC in the capital show the night sky brightly lit on the horizon.

according to Kiev PostThe explosion occurred at a fuel depot in Vasilkov, about 30 km from the center of the Ukrainian capital. Images posted by the Ukrainian vehicle on Twitter show a fire and a thick plume of smoke.

The attacks on Kiev began at dawn. The Ukrainian military said the Russians “attacked one of the military units on Biryomy Street,” the second longest road in the capital.

“The attack was repulsed,” they added. There was no comment from the Russian military. The Ukrainian Air Force Command reported heavy fighting near the Vasylkiv air base in the southwest of the capital and said it was attacked by Russian paratroopers.

According to Reuters, a shell hit an area near the airport and damaged a military base. An eyewitness confirmed that shots were fired near government buildings in the city center at dawn today.

Russian forces Tried to seize the Kiev hydroelectric power stationHowever, there are conflicting reports about who controls the facility. Ukrainian officials said they prevented a missile from hitting it.

US and Ukrainian officials said two Russian Il-76 military transport planes were shot down, but did not provide photos confirming the losses, reducing the plausibility of the claim.

The first was located near Bela Serva, 85 kilometers south of Kiev. The second was to be dropped near Vasilkiev, 40 kilometers to the south, and these planes could carry equipment or soldiers, each of which had a capacity of 125 paratroopers. There is still no information on victims or survivors. Russia has not commented on the alleged events.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a statement that the night from Saturday to Sunday was “cruel” and condemned the Russian bombing of residential areas. “Last night was tough, there were gunshots again, and shelling took place again in residential neighborhoods and against civilian infrastructure,” he said in a video.

Military officials confirmed that the capital was still under the control of Ukrainian forces, and claimed, in a statement, that Russia was using sabotage and reconnaissance groups, which were destroying civilian infrastructure and killing civilians in major cities.

Concentration of the Russian forces

On the third day of the battle, Russia intensified its bombing and invested in timely attacks against targets in Kiev, which recorded explosions and shootings in several areas throughout the day.

Despite the movements of tactical groups, the bulk of the Russian forces are concentrated near the capital about 30 kilometers to the north, according to British intelligence, and it still seems that the main offensive has not started.

More than half of the Russian forces stationed on the Ukrainian border, numbering about 190,000, have already been displaced, and they are now taking part in the offensive on the country.

According to the United States, this is an increase of 50% in relation to the soldiers deployed the day before, when only a third of the battalion was deployed.

The Russian forces continue to advance on three axes, south, north, and east. Inside Ukraine, there are reports of the deployment of Russian heavy artillery, which could soon mean an increase in the use of weapons that cause more damage – and more civilian and military casualties./ The New York Times, W Post, Agence France-Presse