In a series of deadly air raids, a blood transfusion centre, a university, and an aeronautics facility in Ukraine fell victim to escalating attacks by Russian and Ukrainian forces on Saturday. The blood bank in the eastern town of Kupiansk suffered a devastating “guided aerial bomb” attack, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned as a “war crime.” The attack resulted in casualties and injuries, but the exact toll was not disclosed.
Another target of the Russian offensive was an aeronautics facility owned by Motor Sich, a prominent manufacturer of aircraft and helicopter engines, as well as other aviation components. This facility, situated near Khmelnytskyi in western Ukraine, approximately 300km (190 miles) southwest of Kyiv, bore the brunt of a Russian assault.
Meanwhile, in the Russian-controlled Donetsk region, the Moscow-installed governor accused Ukrainian forces of launching an attack on a university using cluster munitions, causing the building to catch fire.
The situation further escalated when Russian officials vowed to retaliate for what they claimed was a Ukrainian naval attack on a civilian tanker in the Black Sea. Deputy Chair of Russia’s Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, conveyed through a Telegram post that Russia would intensify attacks on Ukrainian ports in response to Kyiv’s actions against Russian vessels in the Black Sea.
Amidst the ongoing hostilities, Saudi Arabia hosted a peace summit initiated by Ukraine, with representatives from 40 countries, including China, India, and the United States, but notably excluding Russia. Despite not issuing a joint statement following the meeting, a European Union official stated that the Saudis would present a plan for further discussions. These discussions would encompass various topics, including global food security, nuclear safety, and prisoner releases. Throughout the summit, the importance of respecting Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty was emphasized as a fundamental element of any potential peace settlement.
