Moscow: The Russian military said on Friday that it had destroyed two Harpoon anti-missile systems given to Ukraine by Britain, depriving Kiev of an important tool for defending itself against Russian attacks across the war-torn country.Moscow claimed to have destroyed the systems in the southern Odesa region, where Ukraine had mounted an insurgency in some locations captured by Russia – and Russian forces have targeted grain hangars.
For weeks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has pleaded with Western allies to assist in the war effort by providing military equipment and humanitarian aid. Since the fighting began in February, many countries, including the United States, have provided billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine.
Russian forces have recently made significant gains in various parts of Ukraine, most notably in the Donbas, the country's eastern sector, where Moscow's military has captured several key cities such as Severodonetsk and Mariupol. Donetsk and Luhansk are the two regions that make up the Donbas.
The governor of Luhansk Oblast, Serhai Haidai, stated that Severodonetsk is "on the verge of a humanitarian disaster" after Russia destroyed roughly 80% of the city's infrastructure during the battle for control. Meanwhile, Kharkiv Governor Oleh Synyehubov said on Thursday that at least four people were killed in Russian attacks in the city. Kharkiv is the second-largest city in Ukraine and has been under Russian control for months.
The British Defense Ministry, which has been closely monitoring the fighting for four months, said on Friday that Russia is likely concentrating equipment near Siversk as forces pause to resupply ahead of an expected offensive in Donetsk.
"Ukrainian forces continue to advance gradually in the southwestern Kherson sector," the ministry said in a tweet.
"A realistic possibility exists that Russia's immediate tactical goal will be Siversk, as its forces attempt to advance towards its most likely operational goal of the Sloviansk-Kramatorsk urban area."
According to the institute, Moscow has formed its own ad hoc volunteer units to compensate for personnel losses since the war began on February 24. At least 4,600 Ukrainian and allied troops have been killed since the fighting began.
Russia sentences the first person to prison for anti-war remarks.