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Russia intensifies attack in liberated Kherson region as Ukrainians flee

Russia intensifies attack in liberated Kherson region as Ukrainians flee

A maternity hospital was one of targets of Russian forces in the southern city

Russia intensified attacks in the recently liberated Kherson region in southern Ukraine, with officials urging the civilians to evacuate the city immediately.

In the past 24 hours on Wednesday, Russia has fired 33 missiles in a series of aerial and artillery bombardments, specifically targeting civilians in Kherson, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces said. However, Russia denies targeting civilians.

Ukraine has claimed that Russia deployed more tanks in the region as civilians fled from the city.

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Ukraine’s Deputy Foreign Minister Emine Dzheppar claimed that a maternity hospital was one of the targets of Russian forces in the southern city, which Kyiv only recently won back.

Heavy shellings were also reported in Bakhmut city, in the eastern province of Donetsk, and around the cities of Svatove and Kreminna in Luhansk province, where Ukrainian forces are trying to break Russian defensive lines.

Ukraine War: Heavy Russian shelling rains down on Kherson

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Zelensky has been pushing a 10-point peace plan that envisages Russia fully respecting Ukraine’s territorial integrity and pulling out all its troops.

However, Kremlin has rejected the plan, stating that Kyiv must accept Russia’s annexation – announced in September after “referendums” rejected by Ukraine and most other nations – of four Ukrainian regions: Luhansk and Donetsk in the east, and Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in the south.

“There can be no peace plan for Ukraine that does not take into account today’s realities regarding Russian territory, with the entry of four regions into Russia,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

Last month, Russia was forced to pull out its troops from the Kherson region—a move seen by experts as a major humiliation for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Though forces were pushed back, relentless shelling in Kherson has made it difficult for people to live there.

(With inputs from agencies)

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