Ukrainian air defenses battled hard against an aerial onslaught of cruise missiles and exploding drones launched by Russia on Kyiv early Sunday morning. That’s according to Vitali Klitschko, the city’s mayor. This atrocity comes on the heels of an unprecedented escalation against civilians. Ukrainian officials again on Saturday ordered the evacuation of 11 additional villages in the northern Sumy region.
On Saturday, the fighting became much more severe. Tragically, at least 15 people—including one child—were killed during continued Russian drone and missile attacks on cities across Ukraine. A nine-year-old girl was killed after heavy artillery fire targeted the frontline village of Dolynka. This incident is reminiscent of this tragic incident that happened up north in the Zaporizhzhia region. As Ivan Fedorov, the mayor of Melitopol noted, a 16-year-old girl was wounded in this strike as well.
Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy gave the latest on the war effort. He disclosed that about 50,000 Russian soldiers have amassed along their border, readying themselves to make further pushes. During this period of amassing troops and military equipment, fears of a new, larger attack in the area grew.
Just ask Ukrainian General Oleksandr Syrskyi, who recently had Ukrainian forces making inroads into Russia’s Kursk region. This is all in line with their militarized agenda. Russian forces still concentrate their offensives around strategic locations in the Donetsk oblast. In particular, they are aiming for Pokrovsk, Torets, and Lyman. The Russian Ministry of Defense has claimed control over two villages: Novopil in eastern Donetsk and Vodolahy in northern Sumy.
Faced with threats of violence, authorities have begun to call for evacuations. All 213 settlements in the Sumy region, which borders Russia’s Kursk region, are at risk. This provision would help to protect civilians from immediate harm as the war rages on without any indication of stopping.
Zelenskyy condemned Russia’s behavior, claiming that they are “undermining diplomacy” by failing to deliver a memorandum yet promised concerning the confrontation. He expressed frustration over the situation, emphasizing, “for some reason, the Russians are concealing this document. This is an absolutely bizarre position. There is no clarity about the format.”
As recently as September 29, Ukrainian drones struck apartment buildings in Kursk. This latest high-profile attack has had 14 wounded, including four kids. This spreading violence is increasing already high tensions between Russia and Ukraine. This is a dangerous scenario for regional stability and the protection of civilians.