Another night, and there have been hundreds of them, the Ukraine war has turned into an exchange of drone launches. Kiev intercepted 18 drones launched by Russia during the night over the southern region of Odesa, in addition to two Iskander-M missiles. Meanwhile, Russian forces have shot down 16 Ukrainian UAVs, fourteen over the Belgorod region bordering Ukraine, and two over the Black Sea.
This Monday, Ukraine bombed "the largest" oil terminal in Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula annexed by Moscow in 2014, and a Russian missile hit a civilian ship in the port of Odesa, resulting in one fatality, according to Kiev.
For a year now, Ukraine has been facing difficulties on its eastern front, where Russian forces are advancing towards Pokrovsk, a key city for Ukrainian military logistics. Moscow's troops continue to gain ground against Kiev almost daily, facing Ukrainians who are less well-armed and not as numerous.
Ukraine Denounces Russian Attacks on Two Foreign-flagged Ships in the Black Sea
Two Russian missile attacks caused damage this week to two foreign-flagged cargo ships off the coast of the Ukrainian region of Odesa, as reported on Tuesday on social media by Ukraine's Foreign Minister, Andriy Sibiga, according to Efe.
"In just two days, two civilian cargo ships in Odesa have been damaged by Russian ballistic missiles," Sibiga wrote on his X account, revealing that one person died and five others were injured in the second incident.
Ukraine Acknowledges Russian Forces Have Entered Toretsk, in the Donetsk Front
The Tactical Operational Group Lugansk of the Ukrainian Armed Forces has acknowledged that Russian troops have entered the town of Toretsk in the eastern Donetsk region, where Russia took Vugledar last week and would have also completed the conquest of Krasnogorivka, according to unofficial Ukrainian sources, as reported by Efe.
"Fighting is taking place within Toretsk," said Lugansk Group spokesperson Anastasia Bobovnikova in a television statement, describing the situation as "unstable." "The fights are taking place literally at all entrances to the city," she added.
In its report on Monday, the Ukrainian General Staff stated that the Russians launched twelve attacks in the last 24 hours in that front line, specifically targeting Toretsk, which had a population of 5,000 before the war, as well as Dilivka and Nelipivka.
Russia Says Direct Emergency Lines with US and NATO Remain Active as Nuclear Risks Increase
Russia stated on Tuesday that it still maintains a direct emergency line with the United States and the NATO military alliance to de-escalate crises as nuclear risks rise amid the most serious confrontation between Moscow and the West since the depths of the Cold War, as reported by Reuters.
The Ukraine war, now lasting two and a half years, is entering what Russian officials say is its most dangerous phase, as Russian forces advance and the United States considers allowing Kiev to deeply strike Russia with Western missiles.
US Intelligence Estimates Russia Prefers Trump and Iran Over Harris
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) highlighted on Monday that less than a month before the presidential elections, foreign interference continues, specifying that Russia prefers former President (2017-2021) and Republican candidate Donald Trump, and Iran over Vice President and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, as reported by Efe.
Specifically, according to Washington, Russia is leveraging a wide range of actors with influence in an effort to influence congressional elections, particularly to encourage the public to oppose pro-Ukraine policies and politicians.