Relentless shelling by Russia continues in Donetsk
Air raid sirens sounded overnight throughout the country’s east and south.
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Donetsk, Jul 9: Ukraine urged its allies to send more weapons as its forces dig in, hoping to stall Russia's military advance through the eastern Donbas region, while Ukraine's chief negotiator said a turning part was approaching in the conflict. Signaling that the Kremlin was in no mood for compromise, President Vladimir Putin said sanctions against Russia for the invasion it launched in February risked causing "catastrophic" energy price rises.
Meanwhile, G20 foreign ministers called for an end to the war and grain blockade in Ukraine on July 8, as Russia's top diplomat walked out of a meeting and denounced the West for "frenzied criticism" and squandering a chance to tackle global economic problems. Russia's invasion of Ukraine and its impact on food security and energy dominated the closed-door gathering on the Indonesian island of Bali, which ended with no joint statement, and no announcements of any agreements being reached.
The Western supply of high-precision weapons is helping Ukraine slow down Russia's invasion, but the volumes of weapons are not enough and soldiers need time to adapt to using them, a top Ukrainian security official said. Kyiv said late last month it had received U.S.-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and has since praised them for battlefield successes such as destroying Russian warehouses and command posts as well as forcing Russian troops from the strategic Snake Island in the Black Sea. Russian troops pursued their “relentless” shelling of Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region on July 9, as the United States promised new military aid to Kyiv including powerful rocket launchers. Having endured long battles to capture cities in the neighboring Lugansk region, Russia is now seeking to push deeper into Donetsk to consolidate its hold over the entire Donbas region.
Air raid sirens sounded overnight throughout the country’s east and south. Residents in the small town of Druzhkivka, south of the eastern Ukrainian industrial city of Kramatorsk, woke up to a suspected missile attack on Saturday which ripped apart a supermarket’s shop front and left a massive crater in front of the store.