This Wednesday, January 17, the Ukrainian Army urged the population to leave the towns in the north of the country, close to the border with Russia, in the face of incessant attacks by the invading troops. The call was made after 20 people were injured in the city of Kharkiv and Odessa after Moscow launched dozens of drones throughout its neighboring nation. Although kyiv's defenses said 19 unmanned aircraft were intercepted, at least two hit Ukrainian soil.
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Evacuate to avoid deaths. That is the call of the Ukrainian Army to the inhabitants of the towns and cities in the north of their country, close to the border with Russia.
The request was made around 3,000 residents in more than two dozen villages close to the war front line, in the Kharkiv region.
“Every civilian must understand that being on the border with Russia is dangerous (…) The enemy uses various types of weapons, such as aviation, artillery, mortars and grenade launchers, and puts sabotage groups in the fray,” said Ukrainian Lieutenant General Sergei Naev. , in a message issued to residents of the Sumi and Chernihiv regions.
His words came after a series of new Russian attacks that hit the country on January 17, which shares bordering areas with Russia in both the north and the east. Furthermore, from the annexed province of Crimea, in the south of Ukrainian territory, Moscow also launches constant attacks.
“The war continues, and so that the Ukrainian Army can carry out a full exchange of fire and destroy the enemy without thinking that it can harm our citizens, all Ukrainians with conscience must follow the example of the military administrations,” Naev stressed.
20 injured after Russian attacks in Kharkiv and Odessa; kyiv shoots down 19 Moscow drones
The evacuation call in northern Ukraine came shortly after its forces reported that at least 20 people will be injured due to Russian bombings: 17 in the city of Kharkiv, in the northeast, and three in the port city of Odessain the south, with access to the Black Sea.
kyiv forces indicated that Russia carried out these attacks with Iranian-made missiles and explosive drones.
“The enemy attacked with 20 Shahed-136/131 unmanned attack aircraft, from the Russian Primorsko-Akhtarsk region and with two S-300 anti-aircraft guided missiles from the Russian region of Belgorod from near Kharkiv,” the military institution said in a statement.
After the attacks in Kharkiv, the city's mayor noted that some residential buildings were destroyed and that there were no military “objectives” in the attacked areas. Since the start of the war, on February 24, 2022, kyiv, its Western allies and Human Rights organizations have stressed that Moscow's troops attack the civilian population.
“A 62-year-old man was injured by shrapnel (…) A woman born in 1955 and a young woman born in 1995 were injured,” said the head of the military administration of Odessa, Oleg Kiper, about those injured in that city.
In addition, kyiv reported that it managed to shoot down 19 drones launched by the aggressor Army. However, at least two hit Ukrainian soilwhich left several injured.
Ukraine experiences a sharp increase in civilian casualties since last Decemberas Moscow intensifies its airstrikes, reversing a downward trend that was recorded in early 2023. Last month, more than 100 Ukrainians were killed and nearly 500 injured, the United Nations stressed.
Russia says it repelled a Ukrainian attack in Belgorod
According to Vladimir Putin's Army, the assault took place on Wednesday morning in its border city Belgorod, about 80 kilometers from the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv.
“Anti-aircraft defense destroyed seven Ukrainian missiles and four drones over the Belgorod region,” the Russian Defense Ministry said.
However, the regional governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, maintained that no fatalities or injuries were reported.
In the midst of the Russian invasion, which is approaching its second year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky continues his diplomatic efforts with Western allies to supply weapons. Recently, he visited the three Baltic countries and on Tuesday he attended the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where he met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
However, on January 12 Washington noted that aid to kyiv has “completely stopped” in the absence of an agreement in Congress on a package of 55,586 million euros (about 60,500 million dollars) for Ukraine. The Republicans, who control the Lower House, condition their support on a series of measures on the border between the United States and Mexico.
Meanwhile, Russia strengthens its invasion and Ukraine continues to be outnumbered in soldiers and weapons by its neighboring country.
With Reuters and AP
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