Ukraine on Thursday (Jan 18) launched a drone attack targeting an oil terminal in St Petersburg as a part of its “new stage of work” in the region, news agency Reuters reported citing comments by a Ukrainian military source.
Reuters could not independently verify the statement, however, the Kyiv Independent also reported the latest development.
“There are confirmed hits. This is a new stage of work in this region,” the Ukrainian source said.
Earlier, as per Reuters reports, a Russian-appointed official in occupied southeastern Ukraine had said that Kyiv had made failed attempts overnight to target a Russian Baltic Sea oil terminal with a drone strike.
Russia had earlier also released a statement to have intercepted a Ukraine drone in the Leningrad region.
Moscow had earlier released a statement claiming to have shot down drones near Moscow and missiles over the Belgorod border region.
“In the town of Podolsk an attack by a drone flying toward Moscow was repulsed by air defences,” Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said.
Ukraine warns of low ammunition
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s defence minister issued a warning stating that the country was facing a “very real and pressing” shortage of ammunition in its battles against Russian invasion.
“A shortage of ammunition is a very real and pressing problem that our armed forces are facing at present,” Rustem Umerov posted on X after speaking via a video link to the gathering led by France and the United States.
Watch | Russia-Ukraine war | Russia steps up offensive near Bakhmut
“The artillery coalition is aimed at solving this issue,” he said.
This was when Western allies held a meeting in Paris to lock in a deal on new artillery supplies.
French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu, while hosting the event said that France would cover the cost of 12 new guns out of 78 that it could manufacture this year.
“I spoke with (French President) Emmanuel Macron to thank France for launching the artillery coalition” and for its manufacture of guns and ammunition, Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on X.
The two leaders also discussed the “need to further strengthen Ukraine’s air defence”, he added.
Russia says it captured village in eastern Ukraine
On the other hand, Russia on Thursday said that it had seized a small village in the eastern part of Ukraine.
“In the Donetsk direction, as a result of successful actions of Southern Group troop units, the settlement of Vesele in the Donetsk People’s Republic was liberated,” Russia’s defence ministry said.
Vesele village lies 20 kilometres (12 miles) northeast of Bakhmut, which was targetted by months of artillery shelling and urban combat earlier in the conflict.
(With inputs from agencies)
