Attacks on targets inside Russia continued on Wednesday, May 31, while Moscow announced drone attacks on two oil refineries and a Russian border town was shelled for the third time this week.
Western powers vary in their stance on these attacks, which have increased in recent weeks. An unprecedented drone attack on Moscow culminated on Tuesday. Last week, there was a massive armed incursion in Russia’s Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine.
John Kirby, the National Security Council’s strategic communications coordinator, told CNN in an interview that the United States “has made it clear to Ukraine, both publicly and privately, that it does not support attacks on Russian soil.”
Kirby added, “We will continue to give them (Ukrainians) what they need to defend themselves and defend their land, Ukrainian territory, but we do not support attacks on Russia.”
“What we want to say is that we don’t want to encourage or allow attacks inside Russia because we don’t want to see the war escalate into more violence against the Ukrainian people,” he said.
On the 31st, the White House announced the latest batch of military aid to Ukraine, including air defense systems, ammunition and other defense equipment worth up to $300 million.
The Pentagon said the batch included equipment such as Patriot air defense systems, Stinger air defense systems, and tank ammunition.
In total, the United States has provided more than $38.3 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since President Biden entered the White House, including about $37.6 billion since the outbreak of war with Russia in February 2022.
On the other hand, the German government reiterated its position that Ukraine’s attack on Russian territory was legal under international law.
The statement came as Berlin announced the closure of four of five German consulates in Russia, in response to Moscow’s decision to set a maximum number of staff for German diplomatic missions.
kremlin review
“We are concerned about the situation. The bombing of civilian targets continues,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, referring to the attack in Berkshire, Russia. Attacks in Rhodes area.
He also said, “We have not heard any condemnation from the West. The situation is indeed worrying. Measures are being taken.”
On the other hand, Ukrainian presidential adviser Mikhailo Podolak denied that Kiev was directly involved in these developments, but said “we are happy to follow these events” and expected more such attacks.
Attacks on Russia have increased sharply as Ukraine has confirmed that it is ready to launch a major counteroffensive to regain territory. On the other hand, Russian military missiles and drones carried out a series of heavy strikes on Kiev this week.
Belgorod Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said four people were wounded by Ukrainian shelling in the Shebekino district. He also noted that shells damaged a residential building, four houses and a school, and damaged power lines.
Russia evacuates children
The governor of Belgorod region announced the start of the evacuation of children from two areas hit by heavy artillery and mortar fire.
“On the 31st, the first group of 300 children will be sent to Voronezh,” a city about 250 kilometers northeast of Belgorod, far from the Ukrainian border, he said.
Meanwhile, Russian officials said drone strikes struck two oil refineries in southern Russia, sparking fires that were later extinguished.
The oil base in Ilsky, Russia’s Krasnodar region, was hit by a similar attack in early May, causing a fire to break out.
Meanwhile, pro-Russian authorities in the Lugansk region of eastern Ukraine announced that five people were killed and 19 wounded after Ukrainian troops shelled a village in the region.
On the other hand, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced on the 31st that two days ago, its forces destroyed what it said was the last Ukrainian warship.
“As a result of high-precision weapons strikes by the Russian Aerospace Forces on the warship mooring area in the port of Odessa, the last warship of the Ukrainian navy ‘Yuri Olifilenko’ was destroyed,” the ministry said in a statement.
On the other hand, Ukrainian navy spokesman Oleg Shaylik said he would not respond to any Russian statements in this regard, adding that the navy would not release any information about war casualties.