Seven hundred days after Kremlin forces entered Ukraine, the 1,500-kilometre-long front line has remained largely stationary amid icy weather. While both sides seek to replenish their weapons stocks, the war has recently focused on long-range strikes.
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Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that a major Russian missile attack on Tuesday killed 18 people and injured 130 others.
The bombing, which used more than 40 ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, anti-aircraft missiles and guided missiles, hit 130 residential buildings in three Ukrainian cities, “all of them ordinary houses,” Zelensky said on X, previously Twitter.
The Russian attack, which included targets in the capital, Kiev, and Kharkiv, the second largest city, was the most violent in weeks and gave weight to Zelensky's calls for Western allies to provide more military aid.
“The main priority this year is to strengthen air defense to protect our cities and towns, as well as defend front-line positions,” Zelensky told Channel X.
Analysts say Russia has stockpiled missiles to continue its winter aerial bombing campaign, while Ukraine has sought to strike inside Russia with new types of drones.
A US think tank said Russia may have used camouflage missiles in Tuesday's attack in an attempt to open loopholes in Ukrainian air defences.
The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War said Moscow is likely trying to acquire more ballistic missiles from foreign countries, including Iran and North Korea, because they may be more effective in some circumstances.
Another barrage of Russian S-300 missiles hit residential areas in Kharkiv late Tuesday, wounding nine people and damaging residential buildings, regional governor Oleh Sinyhopov said.
Russia denies that its forces bombed civilian areas, despite strong evidence to the contrary.
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Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry said that air defenses shot down four Ukrainian drones over the Oryol region in western Russia early on Wednesday.
Oryol Mayor Yuri Parakhin said several drones had been shot down over the city. He added that there were no casualties, but windows were shattered in many residential buildings in the city.
Another Ukrainian drone was shot down early Wednesday over the Belgorod border region, according to regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov. He added that there were no injuries or damage.
Ukraine's allies have promised to continue sending military aid packages, despite the drain on their resources. Aid from the United States, Ukraine's largest single provider, has also faced political obstacles.
The German Ministry of Defense announced that it plans to send six SEA KING Mk41 multi-purpose helicopters from the Bundeswehr's inventory to Ukraine.
The government said that since the beginning of the war, military aid from Germany had amounted to about $6.52 billion ($9.87 billion), including large anti-aircraft and air defense systems.
AP, Reuters
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