A former deputy who switched allegiance from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for the occupying Russian forces in the southern region of Kherson has been shot dead, Russian investigators said Monday.
Alexei Kovalev, "the deputy head of the military and civil administration in the Kherson region was killed by bullets," the investigators said on Telegram.
The attack took place in his home on Sunday, they said, adding a young woman who lived with him was also a victim.
They did not give any further details.
In the past months, several Ukrainian officials named by Russian forces in occupied territory have been killed or wounded in attacks.
Kovalev, 33, was elected a deputy in 2019 in Kherson and joined Zelensky's group in the Ukrainian parliament.
After the Russian offensive on Ukraine at the end of February and the occupation of Kherson by Russian troops, Kovalev joined the invading forces and became a senior official.
He survived an assassination attempt in June.
Russian forces seized Kherson, a town of 280,000 inhabitants, on March 3.
It was the first major city to fall following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
Ukraine's southern command says more than 100 Russian soldiers and seven tanks were destroyed in fresh fighting.
Ukraine also says rail traffic to Kherson over the Dnipro River has been cut, potentially further isolating Russian forces west of the river.
(AP)
Ukraine's military says it has killed scores of Russian soldiers and destroyed two ammunition dumps in the Kherson region, the focus of Kiev's counter-offensive in the south and a key link in Moscow's supply lines.
Rail traffic to Kherson over the Dnipro River has been cut, the military's southern command said on Saturday, potentially further isolating Russian forces west of the river from supplies in occupied Crimea and the east.
It said in a statement that more than 100 Russian soldiers and seven tanks were destroyed in fighting on Friday in the Kherson region, the first major town captured by the Russians following their February 24 military offensive.
Ukraine has used Western-supplied long-range missile systems to badly damage three bridges across the Dnipro in recent weeks, cutting off Kherson city.
In the assessment of British defence officials, Russia's 49th Army stationed on the west bank of the river highly vulnerable has been left vulnerable.
"...it has been established that traffic over the rail bridge crossing the Dnipro is not possible," Ukraine's southern command said.
Moscow and Kiev accuse each other of bombing a jail holding Ukrainian prisoners in Russian-held territory, with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy calling attack "a war crime" as fighting enters its 157th day
The first deputy head of the Kherson regional council, Yuri Sobolevsky, told residents to stay from away from Russian ammunition dumps.
"The Ukrainian army is pouring it on against the Russians and this is only the beginning," Sobolevsky wrote on the Telegram app.
The pro-Ukrainian governor of Kherson region, Dmytro Butriy, said Berislav district was particularly hard hit. Berislav is across the river northwest of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant.
"In some villages, not a single home has been left intact, all infrastructure has been destroyed, people are living in cellars," Butriy wrote on Telegram.
Officials from the Russian-appointed administration running the Kherson region earlier this week rejected Western and Ukrainian assessments of the situation.
Britain's Ministry of Defence said on Saturday that Russia had likely established two pontoon bridges and a ferry system to compensate for bridges damaged in Ukrainian strikes.
Russian-installed authorities in occupied territories in southern Ukraine were possibly preparing to hold referendums on joining Russia later this year, and were "likely coercing the population into disclosing personal details in order to compose voting registers," it added.
Russia and Ukraine also traded accusations on Friday over a missile strike or explosion that appeared to have killed dozens of Ukrainian prisoners, including soldiers, in eastern Donetsk province.
Forty prisoners were killed and 75 wounded at the prison in the frontline town of Olenivka held by Moscow-backed separatists, Russia's defence ministry said.
A spokesperson for the separatists put the death toll at 53 and accused Kiev of targeting the prison with US-made HIMARS rockets.
Ukraine's armed forces denied responsibility, saying Russian artillery had targeted the prison to hide the mistreatment of those held there.
Moscow and Kiev accuse each other of bombing a jail holding Ukrainian prisoners in Russian-held territory, with Ukrainian President Zelensky calling attack "a war crime" as fighting enters its 157th day.
A Russian military truck drives past an unexploded munition in the Russia-controlled village of Chornobaivka.
(Reuters)
Saturday, July 30, 2022
Ukraine claims killing scores of Russians in Kherson fighting
The Ukrainian military has said it had killed scores of Russian soldiers and destroyed two ammunition dumps in fighting in the Kherson region, the focus of Kiev's counter-offensive in the south and a key link in Moscow's supply lines.
Rail traffic to Kherson over the Dnipro River had been cut, the military's southern command said, potentially further isolating Russian forces west of the river from supplies in occupied Crimea and the east.
Ukraine has used Western-supplied long-range missile systems to badly damage three bridges across the Dnipro in recent weeks, cutting off Kherson city and – in the assessment of British defence officials – leaving Russia's 49th Army stationed on the west bank of the river highly vulnerable.
"As a result of fire establishing control over the main transport links in occupied territory, it has been established that traffic over the rail bridge crossing the Dnipro is not possible," Ukraine's southern command said in a statement.
Ukraine calls for Russia to be recognised as 'state sponsor of terrorism'
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said the deaths of dozens of prisoners in a Russian-held jail showed there should be clear legal recognition that Russia was a "state sponsor of terrorism."
"Today, I received information about the attack by the occupiers on Olenivka (the prison's location), in the Donetsk region. It is a deliberate Russian war crime, a deliberate mass murder of Ukrainian prisoners of war. More than 50 dead," he said in his daily address.
"I am appealing especially to the United States of America. A decision is needed and it is needed now."
For live updates from Friday (July 29), click here
Criticism has been mounting against Russia since missiles hit infrastructure of Ukraine’s port city Odessa, a main Black Sea gate, after recent Türkiye-led grain deal raised hope for relaxing global food shortage as fighting continues on 151st day.
Russia-backed forces took control of Ukraine's Kherson from the beginning of the conflict.
(AFP)
Ukrainian forces are gradually moving into the eastern Kherson region, which was taken over by Russia at the start of the conflict, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video address.
"The occupiers have been trying to establish a foothold there ... but how did it help them? The Ukrainian armed forces are moving into the region step by step," he said.
“Today's Russian missile attack on our port in Odessa. A cynical one. It also turned out to be a blow to Russia's own political positions. If anyone in the world could have said before that some kind of dialogue with Russia, some kind of agreements, would be necessary - look at what is happening. Today Russian ''Kalibrs'' have destroyed the very possibility of such statements.''
Odessa attack casts doubt of Russia's commitments — US
The United States condemned a Russian missile attack on the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Odessa, saying it "casts serious doubt" on Moscow's commitment to a deal with Ukraine to unblock grain exports.
"This attack casts serious doubt on the credibility of Russia's commitment to yesterday's deal and undermines the work of the UN, Türkiye, and Ukraine to get critical food to world markets," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.
For live updates from Saturday (July 23), click here
