At least six people were killed and numerous residences were damaged early on Wednesday as Russian forces bombed the eastern Donetsk region and fired cruise missiles at the southern Ukrainian city of Odesa, according to local Ukrainian officials.
According to a Ukrainian military spokesman, Russian forces have increased their aerial attacks during their nearly 16-month conflict. In contrast, the country’s armed forces have reported modest progress in the early stages of a counteroffensive to retake the nearly one-fifth of Ukraine’s territory that is under Russian control.Three food warehouse employees were killed in a strike in Odesa, causing damage to homes, shops, and cafes. In Donetsk, shelling destroyed homes and injured people in Kramatorsk and Kostiantynivka. Several towns and villages along the front line in Donetsk were also struck as Ukrainian troops advanced.