Russia claimed this Friday, October 17, the capture of three towns in the regions of Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk, in eastern Ukraine, including areas that kyiv had recaptured three years ago during a surprise counteroffensive.
The Russian army announced on Telegram that it had captured the towns of Pichtchane and Tykhe in the Kharkiv region, as well as Pryvillia, in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
Russian forces are gradually gaining ground during fierce fighting in the devastated regions of eastern Ukraine.
19% of Ukrainian territory under Russian control.
At the end of September, Russia exercised total or partial control of 19% of Ukrainian territory, according to an AFP analysis of data provided by the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW), which collaborates with the Critical Threats Project (CTP).
About 7%, namely Crimea and areas of Donbass, were already controlled by Moscow before the February 2022 invasion began.
Four people, including a child, were killed on Friday in attacks in the Kherson region (southern), Ukrainian and Russian authorities announced.
According to the Russian official appointed by Moscow in the part of this region controlled by Russian forces, two adults and a child were killed in a Ukrainian attack.
Ukrainian police, for their part, announced that a Russian attack in the Ukrainian-controlled part had left one dead and 14 wounded.
Next meeting with Donald Trump
This announcement comes as the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky indicated on the same day that he had met with representatives of the American manufacturer of tomahawk missiles and Patriot that Kyiv demands to defend itself from the Russian invasion.
The day before, Donald Trump spoke with Vladimir Putin. The US president said he could provide these weapons to Ukraine if Russia refused to negotiate an end to the conflict. But at the end of this meeting, the two men agreed to meet next week for a new interview, this time face to face in Hungary.
Volodymyr Zelensky will pay an official visit to the White House this Friday. The last time the American head of state met with his Ukrainian counterpart, on August 18, Donald Trump declared that “President Putin [l’] “I really gave up.”
Russia continues to send drones into cities to carry out attacks on the country’s energy infrastructure. Power outages were imposed across Ukraine for the second day in a row on Thursday due to damage caused by the Russian attacks, according to the network operator. These attacks cause numerous civilian casualties.
To deal with these massive attacks, the Ukrainians want to strengthen the effectiveness of their anti-aircraft defenses.
Source: BFM TV
