Tragic Toll: Two Children Among Six Victims in Latest Russian Assault on Ukraine

Overnight, Russia launched a significant barrage of drones and missiles against Ukraine, resulting in the deaths of at least six individuals, including two children, and leaving tens of thousands without power, according to officials on Sunday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the assaults as a demonstration of Moscow’s intent to «cause suffering» to civilians, which also injured several others.

Despite appeals from the U.S. to cease its nearly four-year invasion of Ukraine, Russia continues to pursue its ground offensive and has intensified attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

On Saturday, Kyiv reported the deployment of special forces to the eastern city of Pokrovsk, which is experiencing heavy pressure from a substantial Russian military offensive.

The office of Ukraine’s prosecutor general reported via Telegram that «Russian forces attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, resulting in six fatalities, including two children.»

The two boys were aged 11 and 14, noted Ukraine’s human rights commissioner, Dmytro Lubinets.

The attacks led to widespread power outages across the eastern Donetsk region and affected nearly 58,000 homes in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, as reported by the governors of these areas.

Ukrainian authorities claim that these strikes on energy facilities are primarily aimed at exhausting the civilian population, a claim that Russia disputes.

The nighttime assault followed an announcement from Ukraine’s top military leader regarding the deployment of special forces to Pokrovsk, where a significant Russian force is putting pressure on the city.

Earlier in the week, Kyiv expressed concerns about hundreds of Russian soldiers infiltrating this logistical hub.

According to battlefield maps released by the Institute for the Study of War, other Russian units are advancing towards the city’s outskirts in a pincer movement.

The capture of Pokrovsk would be a considerable propaganda victory for the Kremlin, which has dismissed calls for a peace agreement along the existing frontlines.

Ukrainian commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky stated in a Facebook post on Saturday that «a comprehensive operation is underway to eliminate and displace enemy forces from Pokrovsk.»

Social media videos allegedly captured helicopters en route to the city, while another video, reportedly taken by a Russian drone, showed individuals fleeing from a helicopter that had landed in a field.

In response to Russia’s strikes on its energy grid, Ukraine has carried out retaliatory attacks targeting Russian oil and gas facilities.

A Ukrainian drone strike early Sunday on the Black Sea port of Tuapse set an oil tanker ablaze and caused damage to port infrastructure, as reported by regional officials.

According to a source from Ukraine’s SBU security services, the attack also impacted the Tuapse oil terminal, owned by Russian oil company Rosneft.

«Five drone hits were recorded,» the source informed AFP.

Images shared on social media appeared to show various fires at the port.

AFP was unable to verify these images immediately, and Russian authorities have not provided immediate comments.

Russian President Vladimir Putin initiated the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, characterizing it as a «special military operation» aimed at demilitarizing the country and curbing NATO’s expansion.

Kyiv and its European allies argue that this war, the largest and deadliest on European soil since World War II, represents an unprovoked and illegal seizure of territory, leading to widespread violence and destruction.

Since the beginning of the invasion, tens of thousands of civilians and military personnel have lost their lives, and millions of Ukrainians have been forced to flee their homes.