Russia-Ukraine war: Russia is increasing military strength in Kharkiv, Ukraine's army chief made a big claim
Ukrainian army chief Colonel General Oleksandr Sirsky said on his Facebook page on Thursday that Russia is bringing army troops from other parts of Ukraine to the Kharkiv region to supplement forces in the cities of Vovchansk and Liptsy, two main points of the fighting. Sirsky said Ukraine has also sent reserve troops to the area.
Ukrainian forces have made a big claim about Russia. The Air Force said on Thursday that Russia had made a series of air strikes on Ukraine with cruise missiles, drones, and ballistic missiles, while the army chief said Russia was increasing the number of its forces in the Kharkiv region.
Ukraine's GUR military intelligence operation said that maritime drones destroyed two Russian KS-701 patrol boats in the Black Sea near the Russian-annexed Crimea peninsula. However, Russian officials did not immediately comment.
Russia intensifies war in Ukraine
The air force said the overnight attacks included eight S-300 ballistic missiles, 11 cruise missiles, and 32 martyr drones. The air force said all the drones and seven cruise missiles were shot down, but did not provide further details. In Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, seven people were injured in the attacks and a municipal service building caught fire, regional governor Oleh Sinyubov said. Russian air strikes were also reported in Khmelnitsky and Dnipropetrovsk, but there were no casualties.
Reserve troops also sent
Ukrainian army chief Colonel General Oleksandr Sirsky said on his Facebook page on Thursday that Russia was bringing army troops from other parts of Ukraine to the Kharkiv region to supplement forces in the cities of Vovchansk and Liptsy, two main points of the fighting. Sirsky said Ukraine has also sent reserve troops to the region.
Drone explosion injures one man
Russia's Defense Ministry said its air defenses shot down eight US-made ATACMS missiles over the Sea of Azov, which borders both Russia and Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory. One man was injured by a drone explosion in Russia's Belgorod region, which borders Kharkiv and faces daily attacks from the Ukrainian side.
Power grid attacked
Long delays in US military aid and Western Europe's insufficient military production have slowed crucial deliveries to the battlefield for Ukraine, and Russia has taken advantage of the delays to make advances in the Kharkiv region. Russian missiles and bombs have also struck civilian areas, including Ukrainian military bases and power grids.
Criticism of Russian efforts
On Thursday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken criticized Russian efforts to sow discord in democracies with misinformation, after hinting that the Biden administration could soon allow Ukraine to use US-supplied weapons to strike inside Russia. In Prague for a meeting of NATO foreign ministers, Blinken cited Moscow's use of disinformation and misinformation, calling it poison and signing an agreement with the Czech government to combat it.