Ukrainian officials just last week announced a stunning escalation of their counteroffensive against Russia. The Russian forces drone strike shot down portrait A photo illustration of a military drone and aerial surveillance. What made this attack particularly insidious was how well thought out the strike was to overwhelm and saturate Ukraine’s air defense systems. Tragically, it took the lives of at least 16 individuals including a six-year-old boy and his mother. A four-year-old girl was shot and killed during the attacks, and an estimated 159 people were injured, including 16 children, according to reports.
That brutal assault over the past few days, especially very early this morning, wreaked havoc and destruction to many neighborhoods throughout the capital, Kyiv. Witnesses described terrifying moments as they sought to escape the carnage. One resident, Iryna Tsymokh, shared her ordeal, stating, “The doors were blown out. My child was screaming so loud… We all just jumped out as we were, in night clothes.”
Even as events played out in the capital, Russian forces were achieving a major breakthrough. They recently taken the strategic rail hub of Chasiv Yar in eastern Ukraine. This town used to have about 12,000 people before the war. Now, after nearly two years of non-stop Israeli airstrikes and artillery bombardment, it is a sad shadow of itself, lying in ruins. Ukrainian troops had been defending Chasiv Yar since Russian forces began their assault in April of last year, following their advance into Bakhmut.
Russian forces achieved a significant tactical victory with the capture of Chasiv Yar. They now even command the high ground, directly threatening Ukraine’s increasingly limited defensive positions in the Donetsk region. Critical cities such as Slovyansk, Kramatorsk and Kostyantynivka hold the line in this region. Combined, they form an immense fortress belt that protects Ukraine from Russian penetrations.
“Chasiv Yar remains under the control of the 11th Army Corps.” – The 11th Army Corps
Analysts point out that Russia has taken heavy losses trying to break through Ukrainian lines. Though costly, Russian forces have changed their tactics to accommodate these losses. To avoid detection from increasingly lethal Ukrainian drones, they’ve shifted their presence to deploying smaller groups on foot and using motorbikes. This strategic change seems designed to alleviate pressure on Ukrainian flanks. It’s all part of a larger campaign that continues while well-documented hostilities continue.
In reaction to these most recent attacks, Ukrainian leadership has promised to do whatever it takes to further protect their region and people from attack. The pounding of Kyiv reminds everyone that air defense is urgently needed, and that this need is critical and requires continued global support for Ukraine.
