Russia steps up strikes on Ukrainian cities of Kyiv and Chernihiv, amid counterattacks in the south
ABCRussian forces have launched massive missile strikes on Ukraine's Kyiv and Chernihiv regions, areas that hadn't been targeted in weeks, while Ukrainian officials announced an operation to liberate an occupied region in the country's south. Key points: Russian missile strikes hit the Vyshgorod district of Kyiv and the city of Chernihiv in Ukraine's north Ukraine says Russian shelling in the eastern Donetsk region over the past day has killed at least five civilians and wounded nine Fighting has intensified in recent days as Russian forces emerge from an "operational pause" after capturing the neighbouring Luhansk region The Kyiv region was attacked with six missiles launched from the Black Sea, hitting a military unit in the village of Liutizh on the outskirts of the capital, according to Oleksii Hromov, a senior official with Ukraine’s General Staff. Mr Arestovich said Ukrainian forces were planning to isolate Russian troops in Kherson and leave them with three options — to "retreat, if possible, surrender or be destroyed." Donetsk remains under heavy Russian attack Ukraine's presidential office said Thursday morning that Russian shelling of cities and villages over the past 24 hours killed at least five civilians, all of them in the eastern Donetsk region, and wounded nine more.