Russian attacks kill two in south, northeast Ukraine

KYIV, Ukraine: Russian shelling and aerial attacks killed two people in southern and northeastern Ukraine Saturday, authorities said, a day after the United Nations warned monthly civilian casualties had reached near-year highs.

At least 174 civilians were killed in Ukraine in May, the deadliest month since June 2023 as Russian forces pushed into the northeastern Kharkiv region, capturing several towns and villages, the UN´s deputy relief chief said Friday.

In the southern Kherson region, more than half of which is occupied by Moscow, Russian shelling killed a 60-year-old woman in the village of Dudchany, governor Oleksandr Prokudin said.

In the Kharkiv region, the focus of a cross-border Russian ground assault for almost a month, “occupiers struck the village of Khotimlya with an aerial bomb,” regional authorities said.

“One person died from their injuries, another local resident was hospitalised. As a result of a hit from two aerial bombs, a school building was destroyed, a shop and private houses were damaged,” the Kharkiv region authorities said on Telegram.

Ukraine has repeatedly accused Russia of indiscriminately bombing residential areas near the front line in a bid to force evacuations. Moscow denies targeting civilians.

The reported attacks come after Moscow-installed authorities accused Ukraine of killing 26 people and injuring dozens more in occupied areas of the Lugansk and Kherson regions on Friday.

After months of stalemate, Moscow is gaining ground in Ukraine, capturing 47 towns and villages in total since the start of this year, according to President Vladimir Putin.