Russian troops continue to shell Donetsk Oblast, injure 7 civilians on Christmas Eve
According to Donetsk Oblast Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko, two people were wounded in the villages of Maksymilianivka and Predtechyne, and five more in Bakhmut, which has been the site of some of the heaviest fighting for months.
Russia’s overnight attacks hit the towns of Krasnohorivka and Marinka and damaged the city council building in the village of Maksymilianivka, according to Kyrylenko. In the morning, Russian troops shelled Orlivka and Avdiivka, damaging a hospital there, the governor added. In Predtechyne, four buildings were damaged following a Russian missile attack. One building was damaged in Bakmut, Kyrylenko said.
He also said that Russian troops shelled the town of Vuhledar and its outskirts, as well as the villages of Torske and Zarichne. No casualties have been reported there, Kyrylenko said.
President Volodymyr Zelensky made an unannounced visit to Bakhmut, which has been the site of some of the heaviest fighting for months, on Dec. 20. During his visit, Zelensky presented state awards to the fighters defending the city.
For five months, Russia has “prioritized” Bakhmut as its main goal and likely envisions encircling the city with “tactical advances to the north and south,” the U.K. Defense Ministry said on Dec. 3.
