Russia's forces struck across Ukraine eight times on Thursday, mainly targeting Bilenke village in the Zaporizhzhia region.
One woman sustained shrapnel wounds and required surgery. Houses and infrastructure facilities were also damaged.
“The children were at home. I live nearby. It's good that my granddaughter was with their other grandmother. Everyone is safe; only my daughter fell on her knees and injured her arm with some shrapnel,” the injured woman said.
“Apartment buildings were damaged. Windows, doors, double-glazed windows, and slate on the roof were damaged,” Oleksii Avdieiev, the head of the economic department of the local council, said.
Valentyna, a local resident, said that trees protected her house from substantial damage.
The Russian attack on the village also damaged power lines, gas and water pipes.
Meanwhile, the consequences of the first Russian shelling of Novohrodivka in the Donetsk region, which took place on November 30 last year, are starting to show.
Back then, the front line was 25 kilometres from the town. Today, it runs through the community, said Oleh Zhuzhman, deputy head of the Novohrodivka city military administration.
6,500 people remain in the Novohrodivska community, of which 720 are children. The town itself has shops, pharmacies, a post office, and a bank branch. However, this will not be the case for long, explained Zhuzhman.
He called on residents to evacuate the community. A total of 20 left on Thursday.
The city hasn't had gas since 2022 and no centralised water supply since last year. People collect water from their own wells, and the local authorities provided pumping stations and tanks for it, says local resident Valerii.
According to Zhuzhman, there are 238 apartment buildings in the city, and a third of them have already been damaged by shelling.
Zelenskyy seeks new European partners
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday that Ukraine and its partners are working on new agreements regarding international security.
In his evening address, the Ukrainian leader stressed that the agreements will be signed in August.
“Tomorrow we will start negotiations with another European country. We are also preparing visits of leaders to Ukraine and, thus, the content of our negotiations and the long-term philosophy of our agreements,” he added.
Zelenskyy concluded the address by thanking military personnel for their efforts on the battlefield.
