The six-hour-long missile and drone assault in the early morning of 19/7 damaged a factory, destroyed a fire station, and hit a 5-story residential building, according to Sergey Lysak, head of the Dnipropetrovsk region.
"A terrible night and morning for Pavlohrad. This was the most intense attack the city has ever seen. Explosion after explosion," Lysak said.
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A damaged building in the largest Russian attack to date on the strategic city of Pavlohrad, eastern Ukraine, on 19/7. Photo: Kyiv Independent |
The sound of drone engines could be clearly heard over Pavlohrad in the early hours. Loud explosions echoed and orange flashes lit up the night sky. Machine gun fire reverberated through the streets as Ukrainian air defense units attempted to shoot down the drones.
By morning, thick black smoke billowed over Pavlohrad from multiple fires. A local resident, Oleh, described it as the worst night he had ever experienced.
The attack came shortly after Keith Kellogg, US President Donald Trump's special envoy to Ukraine, returned to Washington following a six-day visit to Kyiv. Last week, the White House announced a substantial military aid package for Ukraine, including Patriot air defense systems funded by European allies.
Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, announced on 18/7 that Russia would intensify airstrikes in response to the EU's latest sanctions.
Pavlohrad is a strategic hub in the Dnipropetrovsk region, bordering Donetsk. Russian forces are nearing their goal of controlling territory in this area for the first time since 2022. In recent days, Moscow's forces have seized several villages near the city.
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Location of several cities in Donetsk province. Graphics: RYV |
Russia also targeted the Black Sea port of Odessa early on 19/7, setting a 9-story apartment building on fire, according to Mayor Hennady Trukhanov. Five people were rescued from the top floor, but one later died.
At least 20 drones attacked the city, a frequent target of Russian airstrikes, according to Trukhanov.
Vu Hoang (Guardian, AFP, Reuters)
