Ukrainian army accuses Russia of bombing civilian facilities Lavrov: The war will continue as long as it is in Washington's interest

Rapid field developments witnessed in the Russian war on Ukraine during the past hours, as Russia bombed several Ukrainian cities, south and east of the country, while Ukraine bombed several areas in the Donetsk region, and refuted Moscow's announcement about the destruction of the American Patriot system in its attack on the capital two days ago.

In Mykolaiv, Ukrainian air defenses were activated and air alert was declared after the provincial mayor announced that Russian missile strikes from the Black Sea targeted civilian areas and infrastructure networks.

In Kherson, provincial authorities said Russian forces had launched 80 attacks, targeting populated areas, injuring children. The provincial governor said Russian forces on Wednesday morning bombed a hospital in the provincial city of Pereslav.

The Ukrainian authorities in Zaporizhia reported that 16 regions and towns were subjected to more than 80 Russian attacks with various types of ammunition, and explained that the shelling targeted about 50 houses and private facilities, and damaged civilian vehicles.

In the Donetsk region, its pro-Russian authorities said Ukrainian forces bombed it 63 times, and that their shells hit residential areas, damaging a number of houses, as well as killing 4 people and injuring 8, according to local media.

Donetsk, whose residents speak mainly Russian, is one of four that Russia says it annexed from Ukraine last year, following what Kiev and its Western allies described as sham referendums.

In the same context, the Russian Defense Ministry announced the downing of 19 Ukrainian drones and the interception of 9 Himars missiles, and indicated that the attack units continue to advance in the western neighborhoods of the city of Pakhmut.

On the other hand, the Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Defense confirmed that her country's forces continue to advance in Bachmut, while battles with Russian forces continue, and said, "We have regained from Russian forces on the outskirts of Bakhamut an area of 20 square kilometers."

Patriot System

On the other hand, Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yuri Ignat said it was impossible to destroy the Patriot air defense system with the Russian Kinzhal missile. He added that the system is made up of several parts, at distances, and there is no need to worry about them.

"Destroy the system in Kingal! That's impossible. Everything they say there can stay in their propaganda archive."

Russian sources announced that the US Patriot air defense missile system in Kiev was destroyed by Kinjal missiles launched from MiG-31 aircraft in a tight air ambush.

The Novosti news agency, citing an unnamed source, said the speed characteristics of the Kinjal missiles allow them to reach military targets in Ukraine within minutes.

In Washington, John Kirby, the National Security Council's strategic communications coordinator, declined to confirm reports that the Patriot system had been "damaged" by a Russian bombing of Kiev, but noted that the reform of the system by the Ukrainians depended on the extent of the damage it might have suffered.

Kiev said it shot down six Kinjal missiles on Tuesday, but Russia denied this. It was not clear what Western weapons Ukraine used and the Pentagon had not
yet commented.

Before the war, Kiev relied mainly on Russian-made defense systems, but in recent months air defense systems obtained from the West have entered service, including the famous Patriot system.

European support

Politically, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the war in Ukraine would continue as long as it was in Washington's interest, adding that Western countries were striving to destabilize relations between Moscow and the countries of the former Soviet Union.

This comes as the leaders of the 46 member states of the Council of Europe during their meeting in Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland, expressed their solidarity with Ukraine, and their unity in the face of Russia.

The two-day meeting, which came a year after Russia was expelled from the Council of Europe, discussed political and human rights support for Kiev in a bid to set up a special tribunal to prosecute those responsible for war crimes violations there.

The Reykjavik meeting unveiled a new Damage Register, a mechanism for recording and documenting evidence and claims related to damage, loss or injury resulting from Russia's war on Ukraine.

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said European support for Kiev would continue militarily and politically.

He added, in exclusive statements to Al Jazeera, that the signing of the agreement establishing the establishment of a register to account for the destruction caused by Russia in Ukraine is an important step towards achieving justice.

British Defense Minister Ben Wallace also announced on Wednesday in Berlin that it was up to the White House to decide on the delivery of F-16 fighter jets to Kiev.

"We don't have the F-16 and we will not deliver the Typhoon, but of course we are able to contribute to training and support, to the extent that we don't have F-16 pilots," he told a news conference when asked about the "international coalition" proposed by London to supply Ukraine with Western technology fighter jets.