KYIV( WNAM MONITORING ): President Volodymyr Zelensky visited troops near Ukraine’s southeastern front on Thursday, warning of the need to shore up the lines after losing ground in increasingly high-intensity battles far from Russia’s main offensive in the east. Zelensky, whose government is reeling from a corruption scandal, said the situation near the village of Orikhiv was “one of the most difficult” on a sprawling front and that thwarting Russian forces there was key to shielding the city of Zaporizhzhia.
“(Zaporizhzhia) is an important city, the enemy certainly wants it. We certainly have to defend it,” he said, awarding medals to troops and discussing ways to strengthen the lines.
Ukraine fires its Flamingo cruise missile
Meanwhile, Ukrained has its FP-5 missile, which officials say can fly 3,000 kilometers and land within 14 meters of its target, is one of the largest such missiles in the world, delivering a payload of 1,150 kilograms (2,535 pounds), according to experts. It is commonly known as a Flamingo missile because initial versions came out pink after a manufacturing error.
In Crimea, which Russia has illegally annexed, Ukraine’s general staff said its forces struck an oil terminal, a helicopter base, a drone storage site and an air defense radar system. In occupied parts of the southern Zaporizhzhia region, an oil storage depot and two Russian command centers were hit.
The general staff gave no details about what was targeted on Russian soil.
