Russia’s Crimean Governor Sergey Aksyonov has denied that Russian authorities are preparing to withdraw from the Armenian region of Skrzysk near the Kherson (southern) border due to the risk of being targeted by Ukrainian missiles. The mercenaries of the Russian Wagner company said they were fighting what they described as a very violent battle, but progress was being made on the axis in the (eastern) city of Bakhmut in Donetsk.
The governor of Crimea said information that Russian authorities were preparing to evacuate residents of the Armenian city of Ssk in northern Crimea was “false”. He stressed that Russian authorities “are working around the clock to ensure the security of Crimea”.
Less than 10 days ago, Ukrainian troops regained control of the city of Kherson, the only regional capital Moscow has managed to control since February. Kyiv seeks to restore more areas adjacent to the city of Kherson.
Russia’s denial came a day after the drone attack on the Crimean peninsula. Mikhail Razvozayev, the governor of Sevastopol (the capital of Crimea), said on Telegram that “there was a drone attack and our air defense forces are currently operating.” He also said his forces shot down two drones near the Balaklava power station.
The governor of Sevastopol confirmed that no civilian infrastructure had been damaged and called on residents to “remain calm”.
Zaporozhye Region (Al Jazeera)
On Wednesday, Ukrainian authorities in the country’s southern Zaporozhye region reported that Russia continued to bomb the state capital city of Zaporozhye and many of its villages. It also said a newborn baby was killed in an explosion at a hospital in the southern city of Vilniansk in the province.
Ukraine’s Emergency Management Agency said its team rescued a woman and a doctor from under the rubble of the hospital. Ukrainian authorities said rescuers were continuing to search and remove debris from the scene.
The Zaporozhye military government announced that Russia’s bombing on the 22nd targeted about 20 towns in the region, affecting dozens of houses.
bachmut front
A field commander of Russia’s Wagner mercenaries said his troops were fighting on the axis of the city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region. He said the fighting was intense and progress was being made. The field commander explained in a statement that his forces were working to increase the size and length of the front with Ukrainian forces around the city.
Pro-Russian authorities said Wagner’s forces were taking part in a tank and rocket launcher attack on Ukrainian army positions in Bakhmut.
Since August, the Russian military and its loyal separatists have been trying to take control of the strategic city of Bakhmut.
The city of Bakhmut is the closest point of contact and confrontation between Russia and Ukraine. Both Russia and Ukraine described the fighting and bombing operations there as the most intense and ferocious.
Bakhmut is the gateway for Russian forces to continue to penetrate deeper into the Donetsk Oblast in the Donbas region, especially towards major cities under Ukrainian control, led by Kramatorsk.
Ukraine’s chief of staff said its forces had repelled 11 attempts by Russian forces in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk provinces. And the Russian army used 5 missiles and more than 40 shells.
Russia’s bombing of towns in the region has killed one civilian and wounded eight others, the governor of Ukraine’s Donetsk region said.
iranian drone
Russia may have used a number of Iranian-made drones in its war against Ukraine since September, the UK Ministry of Defense said on Wednesday.
It is also possible that Russia has exhausted almost all of its current stockpile of Iranian-made weapons and will seek to secure additional supplies of such weapons, the ministry said in a daily intelligence update on Twitter.
It said the Russian strikes used a combination of drones and reusable conventional weapons systems.