According to Kyiv authorities, Russian shelling in southeastern Ukraine resulted in the deaths of three civilians, while a Russian television journalist was reportedly killed in a Ukrainian drone attack.
The Ukrainian presidential office stated that the Kherson region in southern Ukraine experienced eight artillery barrages during the night, resulting in the death of a 42-year-old man and the injury of another man in his apartment building.
Additionally, Russian shelling in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine claimed the lives of two people, as reported by the office.
The reports have not been independently verified. It is noted that long-range Russian shelling targeting civilian areas has been characteristic of Moscow’s 21-month conflict in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Russian state media announced the death of TV journalist Boris Maksudov, who was injured in a drone attack while working in the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia region of southern Ukraine.
Maksudov, an employee of Russian state television channel Russia 24, was reportedly hit while covering a story about Ukraine allegedly shelling civilians, according to Russia’s Ministry of Defense. Zaporizhzhia is one of the four Ukrainian regions that Russia unlawfully annexed last year.
The increased Russian bombardment of civilian infrastructure has led Ukraine and its Western allies to enhance air defense systems, amid concerns that the Kremlin’s forces may deploy similar tactics seen in previous winter aerial attacks on the Ukrainian power grid in an attempt to weaken the country’s resolve.
During a gathering of approximately 50 countries supporting Ukraine’s war efforts, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin emphasized the focus on ground-based air defense, with Germany and France taking the lead in providing equipment as part of the European effort.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed in a Telegram post that “Ukraine’s sky shield is getting more powerful literally every month,” highlighting the country’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its air defense capabilities.
