Lviv Feb 13 (EFE).- Russian forces have launched at least 20 attacks in the last 24 hours against the Ukrainian region of Kherson, in the southeast of the country, some of which have caused significant damage to the capital.
The number of attacks on this region, reported this Monday by the mayor of Kherson, gives an idea of the increase in the Russian offensive on the country in recent days, which already suffered last Friday one of the largest missile attacks since the invasion began on February 24.
Kherson is divided into two zones separated by the mighty Nieper river, one of them taken by Russian troops, in the eastern zone, and the other recovered by the Ukrainians, but which receives Russian attacks almost daily.
“The Russian army attacked Kherson 20 times on February 12. One person was injured; The man was taken to the hospital in serious condition,” the city council said, according to local agencies.
The consistory has specified that the Russians attacked a movie theater, the river port of Kherson and the so-called Svoboda (Freedom) square, in the heart of the city, where “several civilian houses have also been damaged.”
Jerson is one of four regions of Ukraine, along with neighboring Zaporiyia and Donetsk and Lugansk, in the east of the country, that were annexed by Moscow last September after holding several referendums not recognized by the international community.
Despite this unilateral annexation, the Russian Army has not been able to fully control any of the four regions and had to partially withdraw from Kherson before the advance of the Ukrainians.
Ukraine announces new sanctions on Russia
Also with an eye on that first anniversary of the start of the invasion of Ukraine, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, announced on Monday that Russia will suffer new sanctions from February 24, “which will be announced from different countries and institutions”.
This will be another sign of unity to achieve victory,” Kuleba said in a statement made to Ukrainian television collected by the Ukrainska Pravda agency.
The head of Ukrainian diplomacy reiterated that new sanctions and “other measures” are being prepared against Moscow, although he did not offer more details about what they will consist of.
“At the UN, in kyiv, in many other world capitals, various events will take place that will send a very clear signal to (Russian) President Putin: ‘If you, Putin, are playing a game of attrition and you think time is on your side, then you are sorely mistaken,'” Kuleba threatened.
“Unity with Ukraine is only growing every day and (Putin) will definitely lose in this war,” he added.
Kuleba also referred to US President Joe Biden’s plans to visit Poland between February 20 and 22.
“Of course, this is also an integral part of the commemoration of this tragic anniversary and an integral part of the signals that we want to send to Putin,” he said.
Therefore, it is very important that “it is in Europe that President Biden will be at that time. And particularly in Poland, a (neighboring) country that plays an extremely important role in ensuring a second front of arms supply for Ukraine,” he insisted.
