Here are the latest developments in the war.
A large explosion rocked Kyiv early Saturday, and the Ukrainians claimed to have shot down missiles aimed at Odesa in the south and Lviv in the west — a reminder that even as Russia prepares for a large-scale offensive in eastern Ukraine, it can still strike targets across the country.
The targeting of military-related facilities across Ukraine with precision munitions came as Russia continued to move equipment and forces into position for a renewed offensive. The assaults appeared to be aimed at degrading the Ukrainians’ military capabilities in advance of the anticipated assault, which military analysts have warned could be both long and bloody.
The Russians claimed to have struck a military hardware complex in Kyiv, the capital, and Vitali Klitschko, the city’s mayor, said that emergency crews were responding to an explosion in the southeastern part of the city. He said that several people were being treated in the hospital.
The strike came one day after the Ukrainians said that three Russian missiles had struck targets around Kyiv, in the most significant Russian assault around the city since its troops were compelled to pull back from the area more than two weeks ago. Russia also claimed to have struck a military hardware repair facility in the southern city of Mykolaiv.
At least four cruise missiles targeting Lviv were shot down overnight, according to the Ukrainian military. A missile targeting the port city of Odesa exploded in the air, while an unmanned aerial drone in the area was shot down as it was gathering reconnaissance data about military and infrastructure facilities, according to the local authorities.
As Russia steps up its attacks on Ukrainian military targets, Washington has been speeding up efforts to supply Ukraine with advanced weapons in recent days. Russia warned Washington of “unpredictable consequences” for its support.
In other major developments:
- It may take Russia’s military weeks to consolidate the forces it needs to intensify its battle in eastern Ukraine and achieve something that the Kremlin could credibly describe as a victory, military analysts say. And when the full offensive starts, those analysts and Western and Ukrainian officials are almost certain that it will be long and very, very bloody.
- What appeared to be guided missiles slammed into a shopping center in central Kharkiv on Saturday, according to police officials at the scene. It was unclear what the intended target was, but a National Guard training center is a few hundred yards from where the missiles struck.
- A senior U.S. defense official said that Russia’s Black Sea flagship Moskva, a missile cruiser that sank Thursday, had been struck by two Ukrainian Neptune missiles, corroborating Ukraine’s version of events and refuting the Kremlin’s assertions that the ship had been crippled by an accidental fire and explosion.
- Civilians trapped in Mariupol and other besieged Ukrainian cities are at risk of starving to death, the executive director of the World Food Program said after visiting the country.
- The Turkish and Romanian authorities have intercepted at least four mines drifting in the western Black Sea, the U.S. Embassy in Ankara said. Russia has claimed that hundreds of mines laid by Ukraine broke free during storms in March, but Ukraine has accused Russia of sowing the mines. Read more
@nytimes