By Hammad Kahlun
Scandinavian News Agency, Finland
Russia’s military chief, General Valery Gerasimov, declared that Moscow’s forces now hold the “strategic initiative” in Ukraine, claiming the capture of more than 3,500 square kilometers of land and close to 150 settlements since March.”
The Russian defense ministry stated that troops had taken control of Komyshuvakha in the Donetsk region and launched precision strikes on Ukrainian missile systems and air bases.
Kyiv, however, reported hitting back with strikes on Russian infrastructure. Ukrainian officials confirmed attacks on oil refineries in Krasnodar and Syzran, which triggered explosions and fires. Russian authorities acknowledged that drone debris caused damage to one refinery in Krasnodar, though they also claimed to have intercepted 20 Ukrainian drones, including 18 over Crimea.
In Lviv, western Ukraine, former parliament speaker Andriy Parubiy lost his life in a fatal shooting that has shocked the nation.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the assassination as a “carefully orchestrated act” and vowed to allocate all available resources to the inquiry. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha praised Parubiy as “a patriot and a statesman,” while Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said his death was “a profound loss for Ukraine.”
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