Russia announced on Thursday (August 29, 2024) that it has taken control of two additional villages in eastern Ukraine, specifically in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions, as their military forces continue to push further into the country.
The Defence Ministry reported that Russian forces have seized the village of Mykolaivka, located approximately 15 km from the city of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region, as well as the settlement of Stelmakhivka in the neighboring Lugansk region.
Over the past few months, Russian forces have been steadily advancing towards the strategic logistics hub of Pokrovsk, which was once inhabited by around 60,000 residents.
The Ukrainian forces, outnumbered and awaiting additional military support from Western allies, have found it challenging to repel the ongoing Russian offensives.
Earlier this month, Kyiv launched a surprise ground attack into Russia’s border region of Kursk with hopes of diverting Moscow’s attention away from Donetsk. However, the Russian Army has remained focused on the industrial Donetsk region and has continued its advance despite the Ukrainian incursions in Kursk.
In southern Ukraine, Russian shelling in Nikopol resulted in the death of one person and injuries to five others, according to regional authorities. The attack caused damage to a shopping center, various high-rise buildings, residential structures, vehicles, and a gas pipeline, as reported by Sergiy Lysak, the Governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region, on social media.
Additionally, Kyiv reported on Thursday (August 29, 2024) that Russia launched 74 attack drones and five missiles targeting various locations across Ukraine. Fortunately, the air defense systems successfully intercepted most of the incoming projectiles. This overnight barrage marked the third consecutive night of intense Russian bombardments, resulting in at least 11 fatalities.
Residents in the capital city of Kyiv reported hearing air raid sirens and witnessing at least one explosion during the attacks. Despite damage to several private residences, there were no reported casualties from the aerial assault in the capital and surrounding areas.
In Cherkasy, a city in central Ukraine, officials confirmed that the attack ignited a fire spanning nearly 3,000 sq. m, which emergency service personnel worked tirelessly to extinguish.
The Ukrainian air force successfully downed two missiles and 60 Iranian-designed attack drones during the onslaught. Additional drones crashed before reaching their intended targets. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed that Western-supplied F-16s were utilized for the first time to counter the drone and missile attacks.
