Ukraine marks Statehood Day amid multiple Russian attacks

First modification: 07/29/2022 – 01:26

The Russian offensive does not stop. This Thursday at least five people were killed and 25 wounded in a Russian missile attack on the city of Kropyvnytskyi, in central Ukraine.

This was announced by the governor of the Kirovohrad region, Andriy Raikovych, at a press conference. “There are victims, dead and wounded. Twenty-five have already been transferred to medical institutions,” he assured.

The governor added that there were material losses, including “two civil aircraft and an AN-26 aircraft.”

But Kropyvnytskyi was not the only attack this Thursday. Russia hit the kyiv area for the first time in weeks with six missiles launched from the Black Sea. According to a senior Ukrainian official, Oleksii Hromov, they hit a military unit in the town of Liutizh and also three buildings in Bucha, near the capital.

In addition, as reported by the kyiv regional governor Oleksi Kuleba, 15 people were injured, five of them were civilians.

The Chernihiv region, too, had been seemingly calm for days. But according to its governor, Vyacheslav Chaus, other missiles launched from Belarus hit the town of Honcharivska.

Both the kyiv and Chernihiv regions were abandoned by Russian troops months ago due to the Ukrainian resistance that did not allow their capture.

Attacks in the framework of the commemoration of the Day of Ukrainian Statehood

As part of Statehood Day, Kuleba assured on television that “Russia, with the help of missiles, is mounting revenge for the broad popular resistance, which the Ukrainians were able to organize precisely because of their statehood.” And he added: “Ukraine has already broken Russia’s plans and will continue to defend itself.”

The celebration was born last year, established by President Volodymyr Zelensky to remind Ukrainians of the country’s history as an independent state. The day commemorates Prince Vladimir who made Christianity the official religion of the medieval state of Kievan Rus’ more than 1,000 years ago, a federation that occupied the territory that is now Belarus, Ukraine and part of Russia.

The president also spoke this Thursday through his Telegram account.

“We will not give up. We will not be intimidated. Ukraine is an independent, free and indivisible state. And it always will be,” the president said.

Also during its commemoration, Ukraine announced that it intensified its campaign to retake the south controlled by Russia, trying to bomb and isolate Moscow’s troops in areas of difficult supply.

In addition, the authorities of that country assured that their planes had attacked five Russian strongholds around the city of Kherson and another nearby city.

On the Ukrainian advance to retake the territories controlled by Russia, British military intelligence ruled in a statement that “the Ukrainian counteroffensive in Kherson is gaining momentum.”

However, Ukraine acknowledged that there were signs that Moscow was redeploying its forces to defend the territory.

The expected shipment of cereals could materialize

After lengthy negotiations, the first ships loaded with Ukrainian grain could leave this Friday. According to the UN humanitarian chief, Martin Griffiths, this shipment could be carried out thanks to an agreement closed last week.

However, he stressed that some technical details remain to be finalized. For example, how cargoes will be inspected or the exact coordinates of the corridors through which ships must transit.

The delivery mechanism is being discussed in Istanbul, where representatives of Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the UN are meeting.

Thus, the humanitarian chief assured that this will only take place when all the procedures are agreed so that it can take place safely.

The resumption of Ukrainian grain exports could be a relief for global markets and for tens of millions of people who have seen rising food prices.

Ukrainian cereals have been blocked since Moscow took control of their exit through the Black Sea.

With AP, Reuters and EFE