Explosion of improvised bomb was followed by a second as police and medics arrived, say prosecutors; drones hit major Russian military chemical maker. What we know on day 1,388
Two improvised bombs exploded in Kyiv on Thursday killing a serviceman and wounding four others, including two police officers, in a “terrorist” attack, prosecutors said. “The first explosion occurred while two national guard servicemen were patrolling the area, as a result one of them died,” the Kyiv city prosecutor’s office said, adding that the second bomb was detonated when police and medics were responding to the first.
Ukrainian drones hit two chemical plants in Russia’s Novgorod and Smolensk regions, the commander of drone forces said on Thursday. Maj Robert “Magyar” Brovdi said the factories were producing components for explosives used by Russian troops fighting in Ukraine. Other sources including the dissident Russian social media channel Astra reported the strikes and posted pictures. The Kyiv Independent described the PJSC Acron plant at Veliky Novgorod city as one of the largest such facilities in Russia.
The Ukrainian army’s eastern command on Thursday denied Russian claims to have taken control of Siversk. It is located about 30km (18 miles) east of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, the last two major cities still under Ukrainian control in the Donbas. The area “remains under the control of the armed forces of Ukraine” said the army. “The enemy is trying to infiltrate Siversk in small groups, taking advantage of unfavourable weather conditions but most of these units are being destroyed on the approaches.” The Institute for the Study of War said on Thursday that Ukrainian forces had recently advanced near Pokrovsk; while Russian forces recently advanced in northern Kharkiv oblast and the Kostyantynivka-Druzhkivka tactical area and near Oleksandrivka.
