War in Ukraine: Heavy fighting in Zaporozhye region, western Donetsk region and around Bahmut
Heavy fighting continues in Ukraine. Russia launched 37 air strikes on Ukraine on Saturday, according to Kiev. For their part, Ukrainian authorities say they have destroyed an ammunition depot in Russian-occupied Herson. US President Joe Biden says Ukraine will not receive preferential treatment in the NATO accession process despite the Russian invasion. Meanwhile, a deputy defence minister in Kiev says Ukraine needs more precision weapons with a range of 200 kilometres to "strengthen" its counter-offensive and defeat Russia.
A powerful explosion occurred on Sunday morning near Henichesk in the Russian-occupied part of the Herson region, local media reports. According to local residents, a Russian ammunition storage point was hit.
Local media say the explosions continue. People tell with horror about the attacks that have taken place in the city in recent days.
"I haven't been in my apartment in half a year. I rode my bike to the cannery to see if it was working or not. I was just getting off my bike and I saw my neighbour coming up injured from the sixth floor. This is what a situation like this looks like in our lives. For the first time in six months I've been here. I heard the explosion at 4:30 in the morning. But that's it, I'm cleaning the bedroom now." "A bomb flew from the morgue to our house. Windows were blown out, apartment doors were locked. We simply couldn't get out of the apartment, and everything in the entrance was torn apart. A girl was sitting on a bench and a shrapnel hit her. She was taken to hospital." "I heard a sound and in about five seconds I heard a whistle over my head and I fell. The shell hit the eighth floor of the building. And I was 10 meters away from this house. I fell, and the debris fell on top of me. It scratched my hand when I fell. I thought there was going to be more banging, so I lay on the asphalt for two or three minutes because I was afraid. When I got up and started walking home, I heard another bump." "I heard it was a bump. Then we got our bearings and quickly moved people into the basement. There was a disabled girl, they let her down too. Thank God, no one was hurt, just the glass broke."
Heavy fighting also continues to be concentrated in the Zaporozhye region, western Donetsk and around Bahmut, the UK Ministry of Defence's assessment on Sunday said. According to the British, both armies are suffering heavy losses, with those among Russian forces probably the highest since the height of the battle for Bahmut in March.
Europe will step up its efforts to supply arms and ammunition to help Kiev mount a counter-offensive against the Russian army, which invaded its territory in early 2022, EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton said in a published interview.
