Ukraine war: Russia hits civilian targets in Dnipro and Kherson as 22 Shahed drones intercepted
Russia attacked the city of Dnipro on Tuesday, hitting a key point on the frontline where Russian and Ukrainian troops are fighting once again after months of stalemate.
Homes were damaged and several people were injured after Ukrainian air defences shot down a Russian strike.
Kyiv's downing of two missiles resulted in debris that damaged civilian infrastructure. Six people were injured, among them a one-month-old.
Another Russian strike severely damaged a school.
Further south, the Kremlin continued its shelling on Kherson. A full 16 settlements on the right bank of the region were under fire in the past 48 hours, while Russian troops damaged 15 buildings with strikes on residential neighbourhoods.
Moscow's ground offensive in the north has opened a new front and put more pressure on Ukraine's overstretched forces, who are going through the most difficult phase of the war.
Ukraine claims to have destroyed 22 of 27 Russian drones
Ukrainian military leaders say their forces managed another strong show of resistance in the face of a Russian drone bombardment last night.
On Tuesday, the Russians “used 27 Shahed 131 and 136 drones from the [Russian] regions of Kursk and Cape Tchaouda” and 22 of them were destroyed, Mykola Olechtchouk, commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, announced on Telegram on Wednesday.
The drones were shot down over the Mykolayev, Kherson, Dnipropetrovsk, Soumy, and Poltava regions.
Serhi Lyssak, head of the Dnipropetrovsk oblast military administration, reported that “in the evening, [the] defenders shot down four Shahed-type enemy attack drones in the region”: two in the Kryvorizka district, one over Dnipro and one in the Nikopol raion.
“No one was injured. Infrastructure was damaged, as well as five private houses, three farmhouses, and a power line", he added.
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Meanwhile, Kyiv on Wednesday welcomed Washington's announcement that US Vice President Kamala Harris would attend the upcoming Ukraine peace summit.
“This is important news,” Andriy Yermak, head of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's office, said on Telegram.
He also announced two upcoming meetings between Zelenskyy and his American counterpart, Joe Biden.
The two leaders will hold talks on the sidelines of the commemorations for the 80th anniversary of D-Day in France, followed by the G7 summit in Italy.
US Treasury focuses assistance on Ukrainian anti-corruption efforts
A US Treasury official returning from Ukraine on Tuesday described the nation as a country whose wartime economy has proven resilient in the face of Russia’s invasion.
Brent Neiman, the deputy undersecretary for international finance said the US and its allies’ budget assistance is designed to help Ukraine combat corruption and increase transparency.
His comments come as Ukraine's path to NATO membership remains blocked in part by political corruption scandals.
Transparency International has long ranked Ukraine poorly on its international corruption perception index.
Neiman was speaking to the Atlantic Council Think tank about Ukraine. He stressed that Ukraine, which receives hundreds of billions in financial support from the US and allied nations, needs to undertake reforms to “reduce the likelihood for conflicts of interest and corruption.”
