2023-11-24 12:26:19
► New Russian assault on Avdiïvka, attacked “from all sides”
The Russian army has launched its third wave of assaults since October 10 against the town of Avdiïvka, in eastern Ukraine, and is systematically bombarding its center, its mayor declared on Friday, November 24.
For more than a month, this industrial city, almost surrounded but still served by an asphalt road, has been facing incessant attacks from Moscow’s forces.
“The third wave (of assaults) has begun”indicated the mayor, Vitaly Barabach, on Ukrainian television, reporting attacks by “all sides”. The Russians particularly want to seize a coking plant which they consider strategic, according to Ukraine.
kyiv’s forces are entrenched behind strong fortifications. They have had to give up a little ground over the past month, but the defenses seem to be holding up so far. “In the city, there are 30 to 40 massive strikes per day”and dit Vitaly Barabach.
According to Mayor Vitaly Barabach, around 1,350 people still live in Avdiïvka, while the town had around 30,000 inhabitants before the war.
► Paris is counting on Beijing’s “vigilance”
The French Minister of Foreign Affairs said Friday in Beijing that she was counting on the « vigilance » Chinese authorities to avoid any support for the Russian war effort in Ukraine.
“We are counting on the vigilance of the Chinese authorities to ensure that no structure in China, particularly private, contributes directly or indirectly to Russia’s illegal war effort”declared Catherine Colonna during a press conference with her counterpart Wang Yi.
► Russia claims to have destroyed 16 drones in the South and Crimea
Russia said on Friday it had destroyed 16 Ukrainian drones in the south of the country and above the annexed Crimean peninsula.
During the night from Thursday to Friday, “an attempt by the Kiev regime to carry out a terrorist attack using aerial drones against sites on the territory of the Russian Federation was foiled”the Russian Defense Ministry said.
“Air defense systems destroyed 16 drones, including 13 over the Crimean Peninsula and three over the territory of the Volgograd region” (South), he said in a press release.
For its part, the Ukrainian military said its air defense systems had shot down three Iranian-made attack drones launched by Russian forces overnight. The Ukrainian military added that Russia launched two aerial guided missiles, without providing details.
► Pro-Kremlin leader denies adopting Ukrainian girl transferred to Russia
Sergei Mironov, leader of a pro-Kremlin party, denied Thursday having adopted a two-year-old Ukrainian girl transferred to Russia, after press reports to this effect, accusing Kiev and the West of being behind this “informational attack”.
The BBC and the Russian investigative media Important Stories assured that Sergei Mironov, supporter of the assault in Ukraine and of President Vladimir Putin for more than 20 years, had adopted, with his wife, a two-year-old Ukrainian girl transferred in Russia, after the conquest of Kherson.
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