Ukraine war: Advances near Bakhmut, 700,000 Ukrainian children in Russia, Moscow drones rain on Kyiv

July 3, 2023 9News Nigeria Europe 0

Russian drones rain down on Kyiv

After a relative lull, Russia launched a drone attack early Sunday on Ukraine’s capital, officials said. 

It was the first such attack in 12 days, with Moscow unleashing relentless strikes on Kyiv throughout June.

All the Iranian-made Shahed exploding drones were detected and shot down, according to Serhii Popko, head of the Kyiv city administration. In addition to the city itself, the surrounding Kyiv region was targeted. 

Regional Governor Ruslan Kravchenko reported one person was wounded by falling debris from a destroyed drone.

Officials in the Ukrainian capital didn’t provide an exact number of drones that attacked the city. But Ukraine’s air force said across the country, eight Shaheds and three Kalibr cruise missiles were launched by the Russians.

Ukraine reports incremental gains in heavy fighting

Kyiv said on Monday its forces had gained some ground along eastern and southern fronts from Russian troops, reclaiming 37.4 km sq of territory in the past week.

Ukrainian forces were advancing in the Bakhmut direction, Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said, adding Russian forces were attacking in the Lyman, Avdiivka and Mariinka directions in the Donetsk region.

Ukraine has reclaimed nine square kilometres over the past week along the eastern front, Maliar said.

In the south, Ukraine has regained 28.4 kilometres of territory, bringing the total area of re-captured territory 37.4 km sq of territory.

Over the weekend, Russia said its forces had repelled Ukrainian attacks near villages ringing Bakhmut and in areas further south. 

Furnished with Western equipment and training, Kyiv launched its long-awaited counteroffensive in June. Analysts say Ukraine’s progress has been slow, with Russia mounting stiff resistance. 

Both sides are likely to have suffered heavy losses. 

Moscow says 700,000 Ukrainian children now in Russia

Russia has brought some 700,000 children from war-torn Ukraine to its territory, Grigory Karasin, head of the international committee in the Federation Council, Russia’s upper house of parliament, said late on Sunday.

Moscow says its programme of bringing children from Ukraine into Russia is to protect orphans and children abandoned in the conflict zone.

However, Ukraine says many children have been illegally deported, while the United States (US) says thousands have been forcibly removed from their homes.

Most of the movement of people and children occurred in the first few months of the war. 

In July 2022, the US estimated Russia “forcibly deported” 260,000 children, while Ukraine’s Ministry of Integration of Occupied Territories, says 19,492 Ukrainian children are currently considered illegally deported.