Rising Tensions: Russia-Ukraine Conflict Escalates

1. Russia attacks Ukraine, Kyiv responds with bridge strikes in occupied areas.
2. Ukrainian air force downs 30 cruise missiles, all Shahed drones from Russia.
3. Kharkiv’s blood center and aeronautics group facility also targeted.

Overnight, Russia conducted multiple waves of attacks on Ukraine, while Kyiv retaliated by hitting bridges in occupied territories. The Ukrainian air force reported shooting down 30 out of 40 cruise missiles and all Shahed drones launched by Russia. A total of 70 air attack weapons were used by the enemy during the night. However, it remained uncertain whether three Kinzhal hypersonic missiles launched by Russia were successfully destroyed.

The Russian army claimed to have struck Ukrainian armed forces’ airbases near Starokostiantyniv in the Khmelnytskyi region and Dubno in the Rivne region. The western Khmelnytskyi region, despite being far from the front lines, has faced repeated attacks during the conflict. Buildings, including a bus station, were damaged, and pictures of a burning corn waste warehouse were shared on Telegram by a local official.

In the Rivne region, which Russia claimed to have targeted, only a few private households were damaged, according to regional head Vitaliy Koval. On another front, Ukraine reported Russian forces striking a blood transfusion center in the Kharkiv region, with President Volodymyr Zelensky condemning it as a war crime. A facility of the Ukrainian aeronautics group Motor Sich was also hit by Russian missiles.

Ukraine retaliated by targeting two bridges in occupied territory. One attack occurred near the Chongar bridge connecting southern Ukraine to Crimea, with some missiles being shot down. Repair work was ongoing. Another bridge attack near Genichesk in southern Kherson wounded a civilian and damaged a gas pipeline, affecting around 20,000 residents. Russian air defenses also intercepted a drone approaching Moscow, indicating an increase in drone attacks in the region.

The escalation of attacks followed Russia’s exit from a UN and Turkey-brokered deal protecting grain exports in the Black Sea region. Russia targeted port infrastructure on the Black Sea and the Danube, while Ukraine aimed at Russia’s Black Sea Fleet. These incidents have heightened tensions on both sides of the Black Sea and intensified the ongoing conflict.

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