Russia hits ‘foreign mercenaries’ base in Ukraine – MOD
The Russian military has carried out high-precision strikes on an ammunition depot and a temporary base for foreign mercenaries in Ukraine’s Kharkov Region, the Defense Ministry in Moscow has announced.
Both targets were located near the town of Merefa, about 20km (12 miles) southwest of Kharkov, it said in a statement on Thursday. “Operational-tactical aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, missile forces, and artillery” were involved in the attack, it added.
Underground coordinator Sergey Lebedev claimed in an interview with RIA Novosti news agency that one of the targets was the Merefa Mechanical Plant, where Kiev troops were producing and storing drones, while the second was a tank school, which housed tanks and instructors provided by Ukraine’s foreign backers.
A train carrying Ukrainian troops and equipment, which was unloading not far from the school at the time of the strikes, was also hit, he stated. However, these details have yet to be confirmed by officials.
Earlier on Thursday, Ukrainian officials and media reported that residential infrastructure in Kharkov had been hit by drones. According to the reports, the attacks resulted in at least four deaths. The drones also reportedly hit a thermal power plant located near the village of Slobozhanskoye, 55km from Kharkov.
Moscow has repeatedly said that its forces do not target civilians.
Russian forces first began targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in the autumn of 2022 in response to the bombing of the Crimean Bridge. Kiev had initially denied responsibility, but later admitted its involvement in the attack.
Last month, the Russian military carried out a massive wave of strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, causing widespread blackouts.
Russia has stepped up its airstrikes on Ukrainian military targets and critical infrastructure in the wake of Kiev’s recent attempted incursions into Russia’s Belgorod and Kursk Regions, as well as indiscriminate attacks on settlements along the border.
Russian President Vladimir Putin last month suggested that a “cordon sanitaire” – a sort of a buffer zone – should be established on Kiev-controlled territories to protect the Russian population in regions bordering Ukraine.
