Russia – On Wednesday, the Russian onslaught took a new turn, with drones hitting towns and villages across Ukraine.
The strikes occurred as Chinese President Xi Jinping was leaving Moscow following talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Xi Jinping departed Moscow in an attempt to enhance China’s ties with Putin, but talks in Ukraine yielded no results.
Xi’s visit
The drone attacks took place on Wednesday, just days after Putin hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping for a three-day official visit described as a peace mission.
But, they appear unable to strike a compromise to end the fight.
According to a joint statement released by China’s Foreign Ministry, the presidents advocated a halt to measures that heightened tensions and extended the war.
The statement made no mention of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
In recent weeks, China has pushed to position itself as a peace mediator in Ukraine.
As part of a political solution to the situation, it issued a statement calling for a cease-fire and peace negotiations.
Yet, Kiev and the West rejected the idea since it did not call on Russia to remove its soldiers.
According to Zelensky, a truce would put an end to the combat and give Moscow more time to prepare for another invasion.
The attack
According to Ukrainian reports, Russia’s military conducted strikes on Ukraine’s Kyiv area using Iran-made Shahid drones as Xi returned to Beijing.
Russian missiles struck residential buildings in southern Zaporizhzhya, killing one person and injured 34 others, two of whom were children.
The attack was planned to murder people, according to Mykhailo Podolyak, a renowned Ukrainian politician and presidential adviser.
On film, an explosion ripped through the side of two nine-story residential structures.
According to the Ukrainian prosecutor’s office, at least six missiles impacted the city, causing substantial damage.
“One of the missiles hit between two high-rise buildings, partially destroying apartments and balconies, damaging roofs and breaking windows,” the statement said.
“The blast wave and debris also damaged other nearby residential buildings, cars, and other civilian infrastructure in the city.”
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Ukraine’s anger
Kyrylo Chorniy, a 20-year-old student, was still inside the apartment building when the tragedy happened just a few meters away.
Chorniy noticed a fire and blown-out windows after hearing an explosion.
As the explosions erupted, his father was standing near a window.
He just avoided death by a hair’s width.
Despite the devastation and attack, Chorniy and his father maintained that they would not be forced to leave their house.
“We are mostly angry,” he said. “We are not afraid. Why would we be? It is our home.”
“I will sleep at my bed. My parents will sleep at their beds. It will be a little cold because we don’t have windows, but we are not going anywhere.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the Telegram attack, calling it “bestial savagery.”
Following that, he stated that Ukraine will respond to Russia’s aggression.
“All Russian strikes will receive a military, political, and legal response,” said Zelensky.
“Russia will lose this war.”
The Biden administration did not criticize Russia for the strike on Zaporizhzhya on Wednesday, instead claiming that it was consistent with previous strikes.
As per John Kirby, strategic communications coordinator for the National Security Council:
“It’s obviously right out of the Russian playbook to target civilian infrastructure and to show no regard for avoiding the targeting of civilians.”
Visiting the front lines
The strike was carried out by a barrage of 21 drones launched from the north, according to Ukraine’s air force.
They were successful in shooting down 16 drones.
The strikes happened during Zelensky’s visit to the Ukrainian military in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine.
The area has become a battleground, with some of the fiercest combat taking place against Russian soldiers.
Zelensky is shown in a video awarding medals to soldiers in Kharkiv before visiting injured personnel at a hospital near the frontlines in the Donetsk area.
Despite their wounded, a large number of troops fought for months to keep Russian forces from seizing Bakhmut.
Russia is ready to take Bakhmut, according to Ukrainian military sources.
Despite this, the invaders’ offensive capabilities in and around Bakhmut are decreasing.
“It is distressing to look at the cities of Donbas, to which Russia has brought terrible suffering and ruin,” said Zelensky.
“Right there, in Donbas, in the Kharkiv region – wherever Russian evil has come, it is obvious that the terrorist state cannot be stopped by anything other than one thing – our victory.”
Image source: PBS
