Russian forces pounded the eastern Ukrainian city of Avdiivka for the fourth day in a row yesterday, with both Moscow and Washington deeming theintensified fighting a new offensive in Russia's 19-month-oldinvasion of its neighbour.
In attacks elsewhere in Ukraine, a Russian missile strikekilled one person in the city of Pokrovsk, also in the east,while a drone attack in the south killed a women and seriouslyinjured her husband.
In Avdiivka, known for its large coking plant in Ukraine'sDonbas industrial heartland, officials said the Russian assaultshad left the already-gutted city in flames.
"The fighting has been going on for four consecutive days,"Vitaliy Barabash, head of the city's military administration,told Ukrainian national television.
"They have substantial reserves of personnel and equipment.Avdiivka is completely ablaze. They shoot, using everything theyhave. The hospital is again under fire, as are administrativebuildings and our volunteer centre."
Russia has focused its campaign along the 1,000-km(600-mile) front on the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.
A Ukrainian counteroffensive launched in June has made someprogress in both the east, near Bakhmut, and in the south, whereKyiv hopes to sever a land bridge joining Russian positions inthe south and east.
But the gains have not yet matched rapid gains made byadvances last year in the northeast and south.
Russia's representative to the United Nations, VasilyNebenzia, said the intensified battles in the east signified anew stage in its campaign.
"Russian troops have, for several days now, switched over toactive combat action practically throughout the entire frontline," Nebenzia told a session of the UN Security Council.
"The so-called Ukrainian counteroffensive can therefore beconsidered finished."
In Washington, National Security Council spokesperson JohnKirby said the Russian action amounted to a "new offensive",showing that Russia was in no way ready to give up its campaign.
But the United States, he said, was confident that theUkrainian military would beat back Russian forces.
Military analyst Serhiy Zgurets, writing on the Espreso TVwebsite, said Avdiivka had withstood Russian attacks in 2014, when Russian-financed separatists had seized large chunks ofUkrainian territory.
The area had since been fortified.
"All Russian attacks have resulted in significant losses forthem," he wrote.
In Pokrovsk, northwest of Avdiivka, one person died and 24 were injured in the morning missile attack, while in Beryslav,in the southern region of Kherson, a drone attack killed a 34-year-old woman and seriously injured her 36-year-old husband.
Russian forces abandoned the western bank of the DniproRiver in the Kherson region late last year, but continue toshell towns there from positions on the eastern bank.
Russia says downed two drones over Black Sea near Sochi
Russia said today it shot down two attack drones over the Black Sea in the southern resort city of Sochi.
Ukraine has hit Russian cities with drones for months, but Sochi - a mountain and sea resort - has so far been largely spared from attacks.
"Today at about 7.10 am in Sochi (0410 GMT)... two drones were shot down over the sea," the governor of the southern Krasnodar region Alexei Kopaygorodskiy said on social media.
"There were no casualties or damage in the city," he said, adding that the airport was working "normally" and that "the situation was under control."
The Russian army said it had thwarted a "terrorist attack by the Kyiv regime", adding that air defence "destroyed two drones" over the Black Sea "near the coast of the Krasnodar region."
While the governor said the airport was working normally, Russian media reported there were disruptions at the time of the attack.
The Interfax news agency, citing the press service of the airport, said there were temporary restrictions at the airport for safety reasons.
Last month, Russia reported a large fire at a fuel depot near the airport in Sochi, with some influential media channels saying it was caused by a Ukrainian drone.
Sochi, a popular destinations for many Russians, is known for its Olympic Park built for the 2014 Winter Games.
