Ukraine attacks Russian border areas; Moscow strikes Dnipro

Russian soldier firing an antitank missile system toward Ukrainian positions

By SUSIE BLANN

Associated Press

May 26, 2023 Updated 4:43 PM PT

KYIV, Ukraine — Russia’s southern Belgorod region, on the border with Ukraine, came under attack Friday from Ukrainian artillery fire, mortar shells and drones, authorities said, hours after two drones struck a Russian city near the Russian-occupied Crimean peninsula.

The Kremlin’s forces, meanwhile, struck a building containing psychology and veterinary clinics in Dnipro, in central Ukraine, killing two and wounding 30, including two children, Ukrainian officials said.

Video released by regional Gov. Serhiy Lysak showed fire engulfing the three-story building, which appeared to be destroyed.

Additionally, a Russian S-300 missile hit a dam in the Karlivka district of Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk province, placing nearby settlements under threat ofsevere flooding.

The Belgorod town of Graivoron, less than five miles from the Ukrainian border, was under fire for hours. Four houses, a store, a car, a gas pipeline and a power line were damaged, Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov reported.

Closer to the border, a recreation center, a shop and an uninhabited house sustained damage in the village of Glotovo. A woman was wounded when nearby Novaya Tavolzhanka was shelled, Gladkov said.

The Belgorod region earlier this week was the target of one of the most serious attacks from Ukraine since the war began 15 months ago. Details were murky; Russia blamed the Ukrainian armed forces, but two Russian partisan groups said they were involved, with the aim of bringing down President Vladimir Putin.

Officials in the southern Russian city of Krasnodar, in the region of the same name bordering Crimea, said two drones struck there.

The blasts smashed a hole in the roof of one building and blew out apartment windows in another.

“We just went to bed, and then there was such a strong, terrible boom,” said resident Tatiana Safonova. “We ran outside. There were people running, but nothing else was going on.”

Writing on Telegram, Krasnodar regional Gov. Veniamin Kondratyev said, “There is damage to buildings, but essential infrastructure was not damaged. And most importantly, there were no casualties.”

She described the sound beforehand “like a growling, noisy moped driving by.”

Drone attacks against Russian regions on the border with Ukraine have been a regular occurrence since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 but have increased in the last month.

Earlier this month, an oil refinery in Krasnodar was attacked by drones on two consecutive days.

At a meeting in Estonia, German and Baltic leaders played down concerns about fighting spilling over into Russia.

“Russia attacked Ukraine, and so Ukraine can defend itself,” said German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. “It is clear that the weapons we have delivered will only be used on Ukrainian territory.”

Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas noted that “Ukraine does not have any wish to invade Russia.” Lithuanian Prime Minster Ingrida Simonyte added, “I’m somewhat puzzled by the worry of Russia, because Russia is at war — so it’s quite strange to think that the war can only be in that other territory that you invaded.”

At a meeting in Estonia, German and Baltic leaders played down concerns about fighting spilling into Russia.

“Russia attacked Ukraine, and so Ukraine can defend itself,” said German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. “It
is clear that the weapons
we have delivered will only be used on Ukrainian territory.”

Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas noted, “Ukraine does not have any wish to
invade Russia.” Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida
Simonyte added, “I’m somewhat puzzled by the worry of Russia, because Russia is at war — so it’s quite strange to think that the war can only be in that other territory that you invaded.”

Ukraine’s Defense Ministry on Thursday published video that appeared to show a drone boat attacking Russia’s Ivan Khurs reconnaissance ship in the Black Sea. The video did not show the drone hitting the ship.

The release of the video followed claims Wednesday by Russia’s Defense Ministry that Ukraine had launched an “unsuccessful” attack on the Ivan Khurs
using three unmanned speedboats, which were destroyed before reaching the ship. Moscow released video allegedly showing the destruction of one of the boats.

Meanwhile, at least two civilians were killed and three wounded in Russian attacks on Ukraine over the previous 24 hours, the Ukrainian presidential office reported Friday.

Late Friday, officials in the Russian-held sector of Donetsk reported two missile strikes on Mariupol, a city that had been left essentially in ruins by a months-long siege early in the war.

Russia’s state news agency Tass cited an unnamed official as saying the missiles were long-range Storm Shadows, which the United Kingdom delivered to Ukraine this month.

In Moscow, China’s special envoy Li Hui met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, and they exchanged “opinions on the situation around Ukraine and prospects for resolving the conflict,” according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Lavrov cited “serious obstacles to the resumption of peace talks created by the Ukrainian side and its Western handlers,” the statement said.

Li visited Kyiv this month. Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s government says it is neutral and wants to serve as mediator in the conflict, but it has supported Moscow politically. Beijing released a proposed peace plan in February, but Ukraine’s allies largely dismissed it, insisting that Putin first withdraw his forces.

Ukraine attacks Russian border region as Moscow’s forces strike clinic in Dnipro

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