One Killed, 16 Injured As Russian Missile Hits Southern Ukraine

A missile strike by Russian forces overnight resulted in the death of a woman and injuries to 16 individuals in Mykolaiv, located in southern Ukraine, where aerial assaults by Moscow have intensified.

An AFP report on Tuesday noted that images released by emergency responders depicted several structures engulfed in flames, with firefighters actively working to control the fire.

“Last night, the enemy targeted Mykolaiv, resulting in the death of a woman,” stated emergency services, noting that 16 others sustained injuries.

Before the war, Mykolaiv had an estimated population of nearly half a million and faced significant bombardment following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Ukrainian forces successfully repelled Russian troops from the area in the autumn of 2022.

Nevertheless, Russian forces have persisted in their attacks on the riverside town near the Black Sea, and in recent weeks, they have escalated deadly aerial assaults on the nearby port city of Odesa, causing damage to civilian vessels and port infrastructure.

In response, the Ukrainian air force reported that it intercepted 12 out of 17 Iranian-designed attack drones launched by Russia at Ukraine overnight, including those targeting the Mykolaiv region.

Weeks ago, the Russian government refuted claims of involvement in the October 1st hunger protests in Nigeria, alleging that Western countries are attempting to strain its relationship with Nigeria by associating it with the unrest.

In a letter addressed to the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, made available by the Press Secretary of the Russian embassy in Nigeria, Yury Paramonov, the Russian government distanced itself from the protests.

The statement emphasized that Russia has no connection to the demonstrations despite images of protesters waving Russian flags and chanting during the event.

Russia has been accused of political interference in several West African nations, including Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, prompting concerns about its influence in the region.

However, Moscow insists that the United States, the UK, and Ukraine are falsely linking Russia to the Nigerian protests in a bid to damage the strong diplomatic ties between the two countries.

Russia further accused Western countries and Ukraine of engaging in a coordinated media campaign to interfere in Nigeria’s domestic matters while attempting to shift blame to Russia for any unrest.