Officials appointed by Russia in the Donetsk region reported that 13 people were killed and another 10 were injured after Ukrainian forces shelled the area. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expects that his country will sign a number of new Western defensive packages in the coming weeks.
Alexei Kulemzin, the mayor of Donetsk, stated that the Ukrainian forces bombarded a busy area with shops and a market.
Denis Pushilin, the head of Donetsk region, mentioned that emergency teams are working at the bombing site, and specialists are also trying to collect fragments from the weapons used in the attack.
Pro-Russian separatists have been controlling the city of Donetsk since 2014, and since then, the city has been subjected to regular shelling by Ukrainian forces.
Donetsk is one of four Ukrainian regions that Russia unilaterally declared it had annexed last year, a move that was denounced by the majority of the countries in the United Nations General Assembly as being illegal.
Western Support
President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a speech on Saturday evening, “We are preparing for new agreements with partners, strong bilateral agreements. We expect January and February to bring consequential results; there are already specific dates when new and significant documents can be expected.”
Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Kyiv’s Western allies united in providing unprecedented military assistance to help Zelensky defend his country.
However, with the war now entering its third year, there has been little change along the front line over the past 12 months. Opposition for providing further aid, funds, and equipment in the United States has grown in recent months.
The Ukrainian president has spent weeks on an international diplomatic tour, attempting to secure more political and military support. He frequently reiterated that Russia’s increased air strikes during the winter and the grinding offensive Moscow is conducting in eastern Ukraine highlight the need for strengthening Kyiv’s air and ground defenses further.
