Eight casualties reported in assaults in Ukraine – Russia claimed seizure of three settlements
In the urban heart of Kharkiv,Minister of Internal Affairs Igor Klymenko announced that among the casualties is a 14-year-old girl. Tragically, she lost her life in an air strike on a playground, as clarified by Mayor Ihor Terechow. Additionally, three more lives were claimed in an assault on a high-rise building. Oleh Synehubov, regional governor of Kharkiv, reported at least 59 injuries, including nine children aged between 5 to 16 years old.
Governor Synehubov also shared footage on digital platforms depicting damaged vehicles in front of or near residential buildings, with black smoke rising heavily from them.
Mychailo Podoliak, a presidential advisor, reported a deliberate attack on a multi-story building in Kharkiv's center. This operation employed a guidance bomb, a weapon known for its immense destructive capability. The Ukrainian prosecutor's office stated that the operation was carried out through an Su-34 aircraft that took off from the Russian region of Belgorod's border.
The target of a nocturnal attack in Sumy, according to the prosecutor's office, was a private company. One individual was discovered beneath the rubble, with another loss of life reported in the hospital due to their injuries. A fire broke out as well, leaving at least 13 individuals injured.
Sumy serves as the capital of Sumy region, which shares borders with Kharkiv to the south and the Russian region of Kursk to the east. In August, Ukraine initiated a military campaign in Kursk with the intention of creating a protective buffer zone on Russian territory to safeguard its people from attacks. Following this, Moscow retaliated with air strikes. Since August 9, approximately 21,000 people have been evacuated from the Sumy region due to the Russian strikes.
Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry reported in its weekly intelligence brief that Russian forces had successfully acquired control of three more villages in eastern Ukraine. The villages captured were Nowoselivka and Konstantinovka in the Donetsk region, and Synkivka in the Kharkiv region.
The village of Nowoselivka is situated about 20 kilometers southeast of Pokrovsk, a strategically significant city towards which Russian forces have been advancing for weeks. Ukrainian army chief Oleksandr Syrsky stated on Friday that the situation around Pokrovsk is currently the most challenging for Ukrainian forces. "The enemy is attempting to breach our troops' defense line. However, so far, these attacks are being repelled," Syrsky noted in a video conference.
Syrsky further added that Ukrainian forces had made gains of up to two kilometers in certain sectors of the Russian border region of Kursk in the past 24 hours. Previously discharged Ukrainian air force commander Mykola Oleschuk mentioned that his forces had destroyed 12 Shahed drones in a single night, while four more failed to reach their objective.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky once again advocated for the removal of constraints on the use of Western weapons against Russian targets. "We require strong decisions from our allies to terminate this terror," Zelensky expressed on digital networks. He also emphasized the importance of implementing agreements related to air defense.
The European Union officially condemned the series of attacks in Kharkiv and Sumy, calling for an immediate ceasefire and withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukrainian territory. Subsequently, the European Union initiated discussions with its member states to expand sanctions against Russian entities and individuals involved in the conflict.
