Russia threatens to expand its aggression in Ukraine
Ukrainian defenders battled on Saturday to contain Russian forces along several fronts, officials said, as the United States urged China to align itself with the West in opposing the invasion following an ill-tempered G20 meeting.
A missile strike on the northeastern city of Kharkiv wounded three civilians, its governor said, though Russia's main attacks appeared focused southeast of there in Luhansk and Donetsk.
Those two provinces, parts of which were held by pro-Russian separatists before the conflict began in February, comprise the eastern industrial region of the Donbas.
Ukrainian officials reported strikes in both on Saturday, while Britain's Ministry of Defence said Moscow was assembling reserve forces from across Russia near Ukraine.
Donetsk regional Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said on the Telegram messaging service that a Russian missile had struck Druzhkivka, a town behind the front line, and reported shelling of other population centres.
Luhansk Governor Serhiy Gaidai said on Telegram that Russian forces were "firing along the entire front line", though a subsequent Ukrainian counter-attack had forced Moscow to halt its offensive.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the Russian army had targeted civilians on purpose.
"It fired precisely at the residential sector – absolutely deliberately, purposefully, at ordinary houses and civilian objects," he said in a statement.
Russia, which claimed control over all of Luhansk province last weekend, denies targeting civilians.
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The Russians are making indiscriminate attacks on Ukraine that by their very nature will hit civilians. The Russians were unsuccessful early in the war and fell back on artillery attacks against cities destroying several civilian structures.
See, also:
Russia moves reservist forces near Ukraine for offensive operations: UK defense ministry
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