Archive photo: People go shopping for food along houses destroyed by mortar attacks on Nov. 8, 2023 in Vovchansk, Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine. Photo for illustrative purposes. (Eugene Hertnier/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
Russian forces struck Vovchansk in Kharkiv Oblast on the morning of Dec. 28, killing a 66-year-old woman and wounding another resident, reported Oleh Syniehubov, the regional governor.
The second victim, a 63-year-old woman, is being treated on the scene, he said on Telegram.
As a result of the attack, possibly carried out with multiple-launch rocket systems, a car caught fire, according to Syniehubov.
The town of Vovchansk, with a pre-war population of around 17,500 people, lies some 60 kilometers northeast of Kharkiv and less than 10 kilometers from the border with Russia.
Located near the front line and the Russian border, cities, towns, and villages such as Vovchansk suffer from near-daily attacks by Russian forces.
The fire started as a result of a Ukrainian drone attack on Aug. 28 near a village close to Gelendzhik, a Russian resort town on the Black Sea coastline, according to the reports.
Russia has quietly expanded its Votkinsk missile plant to produce intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the United States. Its output has reportedly tripled since 2022, strengthening Russia’s capacity to wage war.
Security guarantees for Ukraine should include provisions related to army funding, agreements with NATO members, and sanctions against Russia, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Some 22% of respondents said they are very pessimistic about a possible peace deal in Ukraine, while 45% said they are somewhat pessimistic, according to a Gallup poll.
"The organizers prefer to turn a blind eye and further ruin the festival’s reputation," read the statement issued by Ukraine’s foreign and culture ministries.
The pumping station near the village of Naytopovichi in Bryansk Oblast, a Russian region bordering Ukraine and Belarus, was hit overnight on Aug. 29, the Ukrainian military reported.
"This funding goes on top of the 1 billion euros ($1.17 billion) military aid that Belgium has already delivered," Ukraine's Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal said.
The Ukrainian delegation in New York will reportedly brief the international community about the scale of destruction and will urge an immediate ceasefire and the protection of civilians.
The U.S. State Department approved a military sale to Ukraine for Extended Range Attack Munition (ERAM) missiles and related equipment worth an estimated $825 million, the agency announced on Aug. 28.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto described the strike as "an attack on Hungary’s sovereignty," saying it "endangered our energy security and nearly (forced) the use of our strategic reserves."
Alexander Query
