kyiv reports several Russian bombers taking off

Ukraine is on alert. Kyiv warned early Thursday that a group of Russian bombers had taken off from a base in Russia, raising fears of more bombings.

The Ukrainian Air Force said in a message posted on the social network Telegram that several Tupolev Tu-95MS were recorded taking off from Olenya Airfield, located in northeastern Russia’s Murmansk region.

At the end of December, 39 people died in the strike

The Air Force had already reported the takeoff of these Soviet-era strategic bombers in early February and last month.

In late December, Russia used these planes to launch a wave of strikes on Ukrainian cities, including the capital Kiev, in bombings that killed 39 people.

“Extremely critical” situation on the front

Ukraine’s new commander-in-chief Oleksandr Sirsky on Wednesday described the situation on the battlefield as “extremely critical,” admitting that Ukraine lacks men and weapons, while Congress blocked a new American aid package.

Still, Kyiv can boast of continuing to harass the Russian fleet in the Black Sea, claiming responsibility for the destruction of another ship there on Wednesday. NATO thus welcomed Russia’s “heavy losses” at sea, seeing it as a “great success” for Ukrainian forces.

However, on the ground, the scale of the task of reclaiming nearly 20% of the territory occupied by Moscow is immense.