Ukrainian forces bombarded Russian positions in the occupied and illegally annexed southern Kherson region, targeting resupply routes across a major river while inching closer Friday to a full assault on one of the first urban areas Russia captured after invading the country, Associated Press reported.
Strategic importance of Kherson region
Russian-installed officials were reported desperately trying to turn the city of Kherson, a prime objective for both sides because of its key industries and major river and sea port, into a fortress while attempting to evacuate tens of thousands of residents.
The Kremlin poured as many as 2,000 draftees into the Kherson region 바카라 one of four Moscow illegally annexed and put under Russian martial law 바카라 to replenish losses and strengthen front-line units, according to the Ukrainian army바카라s general staff.
The Dnieper River figures prominently in the regional battle because it serves critical functions 바카라 crossings for supplies, troops and civilians; drinking water for southern Ukraine and the annexed Crimean Peninsula; and power generation from a hydroelectric station. Much of the area, including the power station and a canal feeding water to Crimea, is under Russian control.
Kherson city, with a prewar population of about 284,000, was one of the first urban areas Russia captured when it invaded Ukraine, and it remains the largest city it holds.
Two journalists killed in assault: Russia
Kremlin-installed Kherson officials said Ukrainian shelling of a Dnieper River ferry crossing killed two journalists working for a local TV station they set up under occupation. At least two other people were reported killed and 10 members of the broadcast crew and their relatives were wounded, Russia바카라s Tass news agency reported.
바카라We do not attack civilians바카라: Ukraine
Natalia Humeniuk, a spokesperson for Ukraine바카라s southern operational command, confirmed the Ukrainian military struck the Antonivskyi Bridge near the crossing but only during an overnight curfew Russian-installed officials put in place to avoid civilian casualties.
바카라We do not attack civilians and settlements,바카라 Humeniuk told Ukrainian television.
Earlier Ukrainian strikes had made the Antonivskyi Bridge inoperable, prompting Russian authorities to set up ferry crossings and pontoon bridges to relocate civilians and transport supplies to Russian troops in Kherson, which sits on the Dnieper바카라s western bank.
Russia바카라s attempted fortification
Russian-installed officials are trying to evacuate up to 60,000 people from Kherson for their safety and to allow the military to build fortifications. Ukraine바카라s military reported Friday that bank employees, medical workers and teachers were relocating as the city바카라s infrastructure wound down.
바카라The situation is really difficult,바카라 the deputy head of Kherson바카라s Kremlin-installed regional administration, Kirill Stremousov, said in a video he posted on Telegram. 바카라Today we are preparing the city of Kherson as a fortress for defense and are ready to defend to the last. Our task is to save people, build defenses and protect the city.바카라
Attacks on critical infrastructure
Another flashpoint on the Dnieper River is the Kakhovka dam, which creates a large reservoir, and associated hydroelectric power station, about 70 kms (44 miles) from Kherson city. Each side accuses the other of targeting the facilities. Russian-installed officials claim Ukrainian forces have been attacking the facilities in part to cut the water supply to Crimea.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy contends the Russians plan to blow up the dam and power station to unleash 18 million cubic meters (4.8 billion gallons) of water and flood Kherson and dozens of other areas where hundreds of thousands of people live. He told the European Council on Thursday that Russia would then blame Ukraine.
None of the claims could be independently verified by The Associated Press.
Russian aggression
Defying international law, Russian President Vladimir Putin annexed Ukraine바카라s Kherson, Luhansk, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions last month even though his forces don바카라t control all the territory. Putin declared martial law in the regions as of Thursday to assert Russian authority in the face of military setbacks and strong international criticism.
In the Donetsk region, two people were killed in Russian shelling of the city of Bakhmut, said Pavlo Kyrylenko, the province바카라s Ukrainian governor. Russian troops have been unable to advance toward the city for more than a month.
Ukraine바카라s resilience
In the capital of the eastern Ukraine바카라s recently reclaimed Kharkiv region, nine people were wounded in two Russian attacks, according to Gov. Oleh Syniehubov. In the city of Zaporizhzhia, a Russian S-300 missile strike Friday wounded three people and damaged a residential building, a school and infrastructure, Ukrainian authorities said.
바카라Each strike won바카라t scare anyone. It will make us stronger,바카라 said Dniprovskyi District acting administrative chief Volodymyr Hrianysty.
Foreign interventions in the Russia-Ukraine war
Russia바카라s deployment of aircraft and troops to air bases in Belarus raised the specter of another front on Ukraine바카라s northern border, although Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said Friday: 바카라We바카라re not going anywhere today ... If you do not want to fight with us, then we will not, there will be no war.바카라
The Ukrainian army바카라s general staff has warned that Belarus could attack to cut supply routes of Western weapons and equipment. Belarus바카라 intervention could also divert Ukraine바카라s resources and weaken its southern counteroffensive.
While prospects for peace appear slim, the Kremlin insisted Friday that Putin has been open to negotiations 바카라from the very beginning바카라 and 바카라nothing has changed.바카라 Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Putin 바카라tried to initiate talks with both NATO and the United States even before the special military operation바카라 바카라 the Russian term for its war in Ukraine.
Peskov was responding to Turkey바카라s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who said earlier Friday that the Russian leader appeared to be 바카라much softer and more open to negotiations.바카라
바카라Putin brought the trans-Atlantic alliance closer바카라: US
In an apparent effort to keep hostilities from spinning out of control, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin reached out to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on Friday for their first phone call since May 13. Defense officials have said the Russians had not responded to U.S. efforts to set up calls.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Putin바카라s war has backfired. 바카라President Putin thinks that these attacks will somehow break the will of Ukrainian people. Instead, he is only deepening their resolve to defend their country,바카라 Blinken told reporters on Friday.
바카라Moscow can knock out the lights across Ukraine, but it cannot, it will not, extinguish the Ukrainian spirit. President Putin thought he could divide the trans-Atlantic alliance; instead, he바카라s brought us even closer together.바카라
(With inputs from AP)
