The attack was allegedly aimed at mercenaries
Russian drones set fire to Ukrainian hotel
April 28, 2024, 4:38 p.m
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In Mykolaiv, Ukraine, Russian drones set a hotel ablaze. According to the Russian side, the target was mercenaries who were supposedly staying in the hotel. Ukraine speaks of attacks on infrastructure. Apparently no one was injured in the attack.
Russian drones set fire to a hotel in the Ukrainian Black Sea city of Mykolaiv early Sunday morning. In addition, the city’s district heating network was damaged, said Mykolaiv Governor Vitaly Kim. He did not describe any details, but said there were no personal injuries.
The Russian state news agency RIA, citing a coordinator of rebels loyal to Moscow, reported that the attack on Mykolaiv targeted a shipyard where maritime drones are assembled. A hotel that housed English-speaking mercenaries who fought for Ukraine was also attacked. The information could not be independently verified.
The Russian Defense Ministry said 17 Ukrainian drones were shot down over four regions in the southwest of the country during the night. Governor Vladislav Shapsha said three drones were intercepted near an oil depot in Lyudinovo, an industrial city about 230 kilometers north of the Ukrainian border. The governor of Russia’s Belgorod region reported that a drone had damaged communications equipment. There were initially no reports of injuries or damage.
ISW predicts gains for Russia
The Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Kharkiv have seen heavy fighting in recent weeks. Russian forces are trying to make progress along the more than 1,000-kilometer-long front line, while ammunition shortages are increasingly crippling Ukrainian defenders.
The Washington-based think tank Institute for the Study of War said Russian troops were likely to make “significant gains” in the coming weeks as Ukraine awaits much-needed weapons from a large U.S. aid package. Invasion forces would have opportunities to advance near Avdiivka and threaten nearby Chasiv Yar. Capturing it would give the Russians control of high ground from which they could attack other key cities that form the backbone of eastern Ukraine’s defenses. However, the ISW estimated that these Russian advances are unlikely to cause Ukraine’s defense lines to collapse.