Ukrainian military claims responsibility for the destruction of a Russian vessel in Crimea

The Ukrainian air force announced on Tuesday that it had destroyed a landing ship belonging to Russia’s Black Sea fleet in Crimea.

The ship, known as the Novocherkask, was suspected of carrying Iranian-made drones. According to the Ukrainian air force, the ship was hit by cruise missiles in the Fedosia region, as shown in a video shared by Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk on Telegram. Oleshchuk remarked that Russia’s fleet is gradually diminishing in size.

Additionally, Ukraine‘s military reported shooting down 13 out of 19 drones used by Russia in overnight attacks. The drones were destroyed in various regions, including Odesa, Kherson, Mykolaiv, and Khmelnytskyi.

On the other hand, Russia claimed to have captured the strategic town of Maryinka in eastern Ukraine, but Kyiv disputed this, stating that its troops had repelled three unsuccessful attacks near the devastated and nearly deserted community.

Ukrainian military spokesman Oleksandr Shtupun clarified that the fighting for Maryinka is ongoing, with Ukrainian servicemen currently within the administrative borders of the city, which has been completely destroyed.

The Russian military has been targeting Maryinka in order to advance further west and protect occupied Donetsk city. Furthermore, Ukraine announced that it had received $1.34 billion in financing, primarily from the World Bank, which will be used to partially compensate for the financial needs of social programs affected by security and defense expenses.

The Finance Ministry has announced a comprehensive financial package to support Ukraine’s financial and economic stability during the war.

The package includes a $1.086 billion loan from the World Bank, a $190 million grant from Norway, $50 million from the United States, and $20 million from Switzerland. Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko emphasized the importance of international financial assistance in ensuring priority social expenditures amidst the ongoing conflict.

He expressed gratitude to Japan, the United States, Norway, and Switzerland for their consistent support and solidarity with Ukraine. In a draft law published on Ukraine’s parliament website, there was a proposal to lower the age limit for combat duty mobilization from 27 to 25.

The law specified that individuals who have reached the age of 25 would be subject to military registration as conscripts. President Zelenskyy, while addressing the media, mentioned that the military had suggested mobilizing an additional 450,000-500,000 Ukrainians.

However, he emphasized the need for careful consideration and further discussions before presenting the proposal to parliament. Zelenskyy expressed his desire to hear more arguments regarding the mobilization of additional personnel, acknowledging the significance of the proposed numbers.