Russian drones cause fire at hotel in Ukrainian city on the Black Sea

Russian drones struck the Black Sea city of Mykolaiv early Sunday, causing chaos and destruction in the war-torn region. The local Ukrainian governor, Vitaliy Kim, reported that the drones set a hotel ablaze and damaged vital energy infrastructure in the city. Fortunately, there were no casualties reported from the attack.

According to Russian state agency RIA, the strike on Mykolaiv targeted a shipyard where naval drones are assembled, as well as a hotel housing “English-speaking mercenaries” who have fought for Kyiv. However, these claims could not be independently verified.

In response to the attack, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that 17 Ukrainian drones were downed overnight in four regions in the country’s southwest. Despite the ongoing conflict, there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage from these incidents.

Meanwhile, Russian shelling wounded at least seven civilians across Ukraine, adding to the toll of the more than 2-year-old war. The Donetsk and Kharkiv regions have seen fierce clashes as Russian forces continue to push for gains along the front line.

Despite the challenges faced by Kyiv’s troops, a Washington-based think tank predicts that Russian forces may make significant gains in the coming weeks. However, they believe that these efforts are unlikely to cause Kyiv’s defensive lines to collapse.

As the conflict rages on, the long-awaited U.S. aid package for Ukraine is finally set to arrive, providing much-needed assistance to the war-torn country.