Ukraine strikes strategic bridge with US-supplied HIMARS: Kherson administration

As conflict ensues unabated between Russia and Ukraine, the troops of the latter, using a missile, struck a key bridge that links Kherson, annexed by Russia, with Crimea. The Antonovsky bridge in Kherson which is located across the Dnipro River was reportedly used as a launchpad by the Russian troops for attacking Ukraine in the south. Russian-backed Kherson administration stated that the strategic bridge was hit by the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) artillery launchers provided by the US to Ukraine, The Telegraph reported citing TASS. 

Notably, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has sworn to push back Russian forces from the occupied regions in the embattled country. The strike on the bridge impacted the traffic and four holes were spotted in the bridge. Meanwhile, Russia's National Defence Control Center chief Mikhail Mizintsev has stated that 'Ukrainian nationalists' have been carrying out shelling in populated regions from the coke chemical plant in the Avdeyevka region of Donetsk, TASS reported. According to Mizintsev, the 'militants' have brought MLRS and artillery to the plant to carry out shelling in the populated regions. He claimed that the 'militants' have kept people at the coke chemical plant for using them as human shields, as per the TASS report. Mizintsev stressed that the aim of 'militants' is to provoke Russian troops to retaliate and have media coverage over it. He claimed that they will accuse the Russian forces and units of the Donetsk People's Republic of causing the deaths of people by "indiscriminate strikes."

Zelenskyy claims Ukraine forces caused logistical losses to Russian troops

Amid the ongoing war with Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that the armed forces of Ukraine have caused logistical losses to Russian troops. In his nightly video address on 18 July, Zelenskyy stated that Russian forces have been facing issues in holding their positions in the occupied regions of Ukraine. According to Zelenskyy, Ukraine's forces have been advancing and preventing the supplies to Russian troops. He has said that Ukraine's armed forces have been making efforts to identify and neutralize collaborators. Zelenskyy added that Ukrainian forces have liberated 1028 settlements from Russian forces and added that Moscow continues to occupy 2021 settlements in Ukraine. Meanwhile, Ukrainian armed forces have claimed that Russia has lost 38,750 soldiers since the onset of the war. 

Image: AP