The situation in Ukraine remains critical after Russian forces launched a series of destructive strikes with guided aerial bombs and missiles on key regions in recent hours, according to official Ukrainian and international sources (see the full chronology of events in BTA News Agency).
Tragedy in Sumy and ballistic threat in the capital Kiev
In the northern Ukrainian city Sumi Russian aviation carried out massive strikes with guided bombs, which caused the deaths of civilians and caused enormous material damage to housing and sports infrastructure. The head of the Sumy Regional Military Administration Oleg Grigorov reported that two children and an elderly woman died in the strikes. The city council declared an official day of mourning in memory of the killed civilians (the information was confirmed by the regional sections of Maritsa).
Almost simultaneously, air raid sirens went off in the capital Kyiv and several other central regions. Authorities warned of an imminent threat of ballistic missile strikes, forcing thousands of residents to seek refuge in underground shelters. The attack in the Bucha district of Kyiv region killed one person and injured at least 21 others. More than seven locations in the capital were affected by debris and fires. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has again called on international allies for urgent delivery of Patriot anti-missile systems (details of his statement are published in Army Media).
Donbas Crisis: Advance to Konstantinovka and Thousands Trapped
On the Eastern Front, the Situation in Donetsk region is critical as Russian troops continue their massive offensive in the direction of the city of Konstantinovka and Pokrovsk. According to the official report of the Civil Defense Department of the local administration, just over 12,000 civilians continue to be in active combat zones, despite calls for urgent evacuation and rescue missions (data provided by the Ukrainian state agency Ukrinform). The authorities are trying to organize the evacuation of people under constant artillery and rocket fire.
Secrecy in Moscow: Lieutenant General Igor Yerusalimov was buried
Against this frontline backdrop in the Russian capital Moscow, under extreme security measures and complete secrecy at the Troekurovsky Cemetery, the 53-year-old Lieutenant General was buried Igor Yerusalimov. The area was completely cordoned off by officers of the Federal Security Service (FSO) and Rosgvardia (the investigation into the case is being monitored by the independent media outlet Mediazona).
The official statement of the Russian Ministry of Defense does not reveal the purpose of the event or details of his death. However, independent OSINT analysts suggest that the general was among the five victims who died in the powerful remote explosion with a homemade bomb in the Italian restaurant "Balzi Rossi" in the center of Moscow. According to investigators, the real target of the attack was the commander-in-chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS), Colonel General Alexander Chaiko, who was celebrating his birthday in the restaurant that evening (read more about the incident and the investigation in BNT News).