27 Dead in Shelling of Market Near Donetsk
At least 27 people are reported to have been killed in a suburb of Donetsk. The Russian authorities blame the Ukrainian army. West of St. Petersburg, an LNG plant caught fire – was it a drone attack?
At least 27 people are reported to have been killed in the shelling of a suburb of Donetsk, a city occupied by Russia. In the attack on a market in Tetel’shchyk, 25 people were also injured, according to the Russian-appointed administrator Denis Pushilin. The Ukrainian military is said to be responsible for the mortar attack.
According to the local mayor, Alexei Kulemsin, the Ukrainian armed forces targeted a busy residential area with shops and a market. Rescue personnel are on-site.
The Ukrainian government has not yet commented on the incident.
The major city of Donetsk is located in eastern Ukraine, about 20 kilometers from the frontline. In 2014, it came under the control of pro-Russian separatists. According to the Russian-controlled authorities, four people were killed and 13 injured in Ukrainian attacks on New Year’s Eve.
Russia seizes village near Kupiansk
Fighting continues along the front line further north. Russian troops seized the village of Krokhmalne, as confirmed by the Ukrainian army. Both sides naturally assess the capture differently. The Russian Defense Ministry spoke of the “liberation” of the village. Krokhmalne had a population of 45 before the Russian major offensive. It is located about 30 kilometers southeast of Kupiansk, an important railway hub. It is believed that Kupiansk is a main target for Russian forces in this section of the front.
Ukraine describes the village as “having no strategic significance.” The defenders withdrew in an orderly manner and are now in prepared defensive positions “to prevent the enemy’s further advance.”
In light of increased Russian attacks, authorities in the Kharkiv region ordered the evacuation of 26 locations at the beginning of the week. A total of about 3,000 people were affected, including residents of villages in the Kupiansk district. In recent weeks, the Russian army has intensified its offensive in eastern Ukraine – troops, equipment, and ammunition have been concentrated, slowly pushing back Ukrainian forces in some areas. According to the Ukrainian army, the Russians are suffering significant losses.
Fire at LNG facility – Drone attack?
A liquefied natural gas terminal caught fire in the Russian Baltic Sea port of Ust-Luga. The fire at a facility operated by the company Novatek, about 170 kilometers west of St. Petersburg, is now under control, according to regional governor Alexander Drozdenko. No one was injured. He did not comment on the cause of the fire. Novatek merely referred to an “external factor” as the cause of the fire.
Local media reported that residents had spotted one or two drones in the vicinity and subsequently heard several explosions.
The Russian Defense Ministry did not report any drone activity in the Ust-Luga area. Four Ukrainian drones were shot down in the Smolensk region, with two in the Oryol and Tula regions. Last week, according to Russian reports, Ukraine unsuccessfully attempted to attack an oil terminal in St. Petersburg with a drone.