Ukrainian Military News - Zhdanov said the possible withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Bakhmut "will not affect the course of the war in any way" because of the firing positions in Chasiv Yar. Bakhmut is now partially encircled, and all roads, including the main supply route, are within
range of Russian fire, Zhdanov said. The city lies in ruins and "no longer has strategic or operational significance." Explosions that struck two military airbases deep inside Russia on Monday were the result of drone attacks launched by Ukraine, according to Russian and Ukrainian officials, in what appeared to be an audacious attempt to hit the long-range bombers Russia has used to devastate Ukraine's power
Ukrainian Military News
grid. Ukraine's Western allies have discouraged Ukraine from attacking targets in Russia to avoid escalation of the conflict, and Podolyak's statement could reflect an attempt by Kyiv to maintain a degree of deniability in view of those Western concerns.
"Our military is obviously going to weigh all of the options. So far, they've held the city, but if need be, they will strategically pull back," Alexander Rodnyansky, an economic adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, told CNN.
"We're not going to sacrifice all of our people just for nothing." While citing and using any materials on the Internet, links to the website ukrinform.net not lower than the first paragraph are mandatory. In addition, citing the translated materials of foreign media outlets is possible only if there is a link to the website ukrinform.net and to the website of a foreign media outlet.
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Belarusian state television on Wednesday called the report "fake" and said: "A-50 is safe and sound! The liner both performed and continues to perform its work within the framework of the allied grouping of Belarus and Russia, and is ready to take off at any moment.”
Ukraine launched a daring attack on Russia's Black Sea Fleet on Oct. 29, using hitherto unknown remote-controlled sea drones to attack Russian warships. Two ships are thought to have been damaged in the attack, video of which, filmed from the drones, later circulated on social media.
Another explosion was reported at the Dyagilevo military airbase in Ryazan, a city less than 150 miles from Moscow and also houses Tu-95 bombers. Russian state media initially reported that a fuel tanker exploded at the base, killing three people and wounding at least five others.
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The Ukrainian military might pull troops back from the key stronghold of Bakhmut, an adviser to Ukraine's president said Wednesday in remarks that suggested Russia could capture the city that has become a symbol of Ukrainian resistance.
The airbase explosions, nevertheless, were a significant shift, marking the first time Ukraine has sought to hit the bombers that for months have regularly attacked its civilian infrastructure with impunity and recently sought to bring its energy grid to its knees.
The Russian bombers usually launch cruise missiles from outside Ukraine's borders, well beyond the reach of its air defenses, experts said. Rodnyansky noted that Russia was using the Wagner Group's best troops to try to encircle the city.
The private military company known for brutal tactics is led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a rogue millionaire with long-term links to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Since invading Ukraine a year ago, Russia has bombed various cities and towns it wanted to occupy.
It also targeted Ukraine's power supply with missile strikes ahead of winter in an apparent attempt to weaken residents' morale. "Ukraine does not strike on the territory of the Russian Federation. Ukraine is waging a defensive war with the aim of de-occupying all its territories," Podolyak wrote on Twitter, suggesting the targeting of Russian infrastructure was the result of "internal attacks."
Ukrainian military analyst Oleh Zhdanov told the Associated Press that the reinforcements may have been sent "to gain time" for strengthening Ukrainian firing lines on a hill in Chasiv Yar, 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) west of Bakhmut.
"We survived the most difficult winter in our history," Kuleba wrote on Facebook. Zelenskyy added in his nightly video address: "This winter is over. It was very difficult, and every Ukrainian felt this difficulty without exaggeration.
But still, we were able to provide Ukraine with energy and heat.” "The Earth is round – discovery made by Galileo. Astronomy was not studied in the Kremlin, giving preference to court astrologers," wrote Mykhailo Podolyak, the presidential adviser.
"If it was, they would know: if something is launched into other countries' airspace, sooner or later unknown flying objects will return to departure point." Russian officials initially avoided commenting on the explosions but on Monday evening, Russia's defense ministry said "Soviet-made" Ukrainian drones had caused it.
But the ministry said Russian air defenses had shot down the drones and the damage was caused by their wreckage landing on the airfields. The Russian defense ministry said two of its aircraft had suffered "superficial" damage in the blasts.
Video circulating on Russian social media appeared to show two Tu-22 bombers at the Dyagilevo base with damage to their tail ends, standing next to a burnt out fuel truck. "The Ukrainian army is deploying additional troops and is doing what it can to retain control of the city," Prigozhin said.
"Tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers are offering fierce resistance, and the fighting is getting increasingly bloody by the day." Hours after the attacks, Russia launched a new barrage of missile strikes against Ukraine, including from strategic bombers, again targeting its energy infrastructure.
Ukraine's air force claimed it shot down 60 or 70 Russian cruise missiles, but the strikes left several regions partially without power. Zelenskyy said the Russian attacks had also killed four people Monday. Pictures of a drone that fell near the village of Gubastovo, less than 100 kilometers (60 miles) from Moscow, showed it was a small Ukrainian-made model with a reported range of up to 800 kilometers (nearly 500 miles), but no capacity
to carry many explosives. "This is potentially, for many years to come, where we will have to readapt our militaries, our military industry, to be able to step up to a much, much bigger challenge," Karins said after talks in Berlin with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz
. Bakhmut lies in Donetsk province, one of four provinces Russia illegally annexed last fall. Moscow controls half of Donetsk province. To take the remaining half of that province, Russian forces must go through Bakhmut, the only approach to bigger Ukrainian-held cities since Ukrainian troops took back Izium in Kharkiv province in September.