The Ukrainian government has reported that at least six civilians were killed in a heavy shelling by Russia on Kostyantynivka, an industrial city in eastern Ukraine. The attack reportedly involved S-300 surface-to-air missiles and Uragan rockets, which damaged 16 apartment blocks, a nursery school, and other buildings in the city. Although the BBC has not independently verified the toll, there were reportedly at least eight injuries. The city is located just 27km (17 miles) west of Bakhmut, where months of heavy fighting have led to many casualties on both sides. Kostyantynivka is also near two key cities, Kramatorsk and Slovyansk, which Russia is reportedly attempting to capture as part of its occupation of Donetsk region.
In related news, on Sunday, explosions rocked the Russian-occupied Melitopol, targeting the rail depot there, according to the city’s Ukrainian mayor, Ivan Fedorov. The city has been repeatedly hit by Ukrainian missiles due to its status as a transport hub for the Russian military. On Saturday, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said that Russia was ramping up ammunition production, with independent military analysts claiming that the country has been running short of precision weapons due to firing so many in the war with Ukraine. Meanwhile, Russia’s Wagner mercenary group, officially a private military company, has reportedly suffered heavy losses in the Bakhmut fighting, with convicts released from Russian prisons drafted in to swell the group’s numbers.
Source: BBC
