A Russian bombardment has left “several people dead” and “several injured” in the city centre of Chernihiv in northern Ukraine, with a university and a theatre both hit, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Telegram on Saturday
“A Russian missile hit right in the centre of town, in our Cherniguiv”, he wrote of the town 150 kilometres from Kiev, close to the Belarusian border.
“A square, the polytechnic university, a theatre. An ordinary Saturday, which Russia has turned into a day of pain and loss. There are dead, there are wounded”, deplored the head of state.
He also published a video showing debris around a large Soviet-style building, with cars parked around it and partially destroyed, roofs smashed and windows shattered.
Five people have so far been confirmed dead by Ukrainian authorities, with at least 37 injured.
Russian forces invaded Chernihiv after the start of hostilities on 24 February 2022 from several points of departure, including Belarus. They were then repulsed by the Ukrainian army.
Zelenskyy is currently visiting Sweden for the first time since the war began.
Putin meets generals in southern Russia
Vladimir Putin has met with the generals in charge of Russia’s military operation in Ukraine at a meeting in Rostov-on-Don, in southern Russia, the Kremlin announced on Saturday morning.
The authorities did not specify when this meeting took place, but images broadcast by the state media suggest that it was held during the night.
“Vladimir Putin held a meeting at the headquarters of the special military operation in Rostov-on-Don,” the Kremlin said in a statement. “The head of state listened to reports from the chief of staff of the Russian armed forces, Valery Gerasimov, sector commanders and other officials”.
The RIA Novosti news agency broadcast a video of the Russian President dressed in a suit and getting out of a jeep in the dark before being greeted by General Guérassimov.
Ukraine says it intercepted Russian drone attack
Ukraine’s military announced on Saturday morning that it had destroyed “15 Russian drones” overnight.
Russian forces “attacked from the north” with Shahed drones, the Ukrainian army wrote on Telegram. “A total of 17 attack drones were launched from the Kursk region.” It did not specify what had happened to the two remaining drones.
Ukrainian anti-aircraft defence was activated “in the northern and central regions, as well as in the west” of the country, it added.
Both sides in the conflict, which began in February 2022, have recently reported regular drone incursions by air and sea, at a time when Ukraine is in the midst of a counter-offensive to reclaim its Russian-controlled territory.
Moscow has stepped up its attacks on Ukraine’s Black Sea and Danube port infrastructure since the end of an agreement that allowed Ukrainian grain exports.
On Friday, Russia said it had destroyed Ukrainian drones targeting Moscow and its Black Sea fleet.
US greenlights Dutch and Danish F-16 transfers
The United States announced on Friday that it had given the green light for Denmark and the Netherlands to send American F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, once Ukrainian pilots have been trained – a development that the Ukrainian defence minister described as “great news”.
A spokesman for the US State Department said that Denmark and the Netherlands had received “formal assurances” on the subject.
“In this way, Ukraine will be able to take full advantage of its new capabilities as soon as the first group of pilots has completed its training. The F-16s will contribute to Ukraine’s defence and deterrence capabilities,” added the spokesman.
Since the start of the Russian invasion, Kyiv has been tirelessly calling for Western aircraft to fight Moscow’s forces, which are far superior at this stage.
The United States, for its part, has strict rules on the resale or transfer of American military equipment by allies.
It is not yet known when the Ukrainian pilots will complete their training.
