Fri 16 December 2022:
Residents were warned to take cover in cities across Ukraine, including the capital, Kyiv, southern Kryvyi Rih and northeastern Kharkiv, as Russian strikes hit critical infrastructure, according to local officials.
Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said on the Telegram social media app that the city is without electricity, with the regional governor, Oleh Syniehubov, reporting three strikes on the city’s critical infrastructure
Kyrylo Tymoshenko, a top official in President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office, reported a strike on a residential building in Kryvyi Rih, warning people could still be under the rubble.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported explosions in the northeastern Desnianskyi and western Holosiivskyi district, urging residents to go to shelters.
At least 8 killed by Ukraine shelling in Russian-controlled Luhansk: TASS
At least eight people were killed and 23 injured by Ukrainian shelling in the Russian-controlled Luhansk region of Ukraine, Russia’s state TASS news agency reported on Friday.
The shelling destroyed a building in the village of Lantrativka and some people were trapped under rubble, TASS said, citng an unidentified source in the emergency services.
Russian-backed officials from Luhank’s representation to the Joint Centre of Control and Coordination – a ceasefire monitoring body set-up to help manage the conflict between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian forces after 2014 – said Ukraine fired three US-made HIMARS rockets at Lantrativka at 04:10am (0210 GMT) on Friday
Ukraine officials warn of Russian offensive in the new year
Ukraine’s defence chiefs have warned Russia is expected to launch a new offensive early next year that could include a second attempt to take the capital Kyiv.
Moscow’s new offensive could happen as soon as January, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, General Valery Zaluzhniy and General Oleksandr Syrskiy were quoted as saying in interviews with The Economist magazine on Thursday.
The push could be launched from the eastern Donbas area, the south or neighbouring Belarus, and could include another ground assault on Kyiv, which Moscow failed to capture early in the invasion, the officials said.
“The Russians are preparing some 200,000 fresh troops. I have no doubt they will have another go at Kyiv,” Zaluzhniy was quoted as saying.
SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
FOLLOW INDEPENDENT PRESS:
TWITTER (CLICK HERE)
https://twitter.com/IpIndependent
FACEBOOK (CLICK HERE)
https://web.facebook.com/ipindependent
Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!
