Ukraine allegedly destroys Russian helicopters in Berdyansk and Luhansk

According to Ukraine, they have successfully destroyed nine Russian helicopters in an airstrike on two cities in the Russian-occupied east of the country. The special forces statement mentioned that they targeted an air defence system, other equipment, and a munitions depot in the cities of Berdyansk and Luhansk. The operation allegedly resulted in the death or injury of numerous Russian troops. However, there has been no independent confirmation of the attack, and the Russian military has not issued any comments regarding the incident. The Russian-appointed governor of the occupied region of Zaporizhzhia, Vladimir Rogov, claimed that air defence systems intercepted enemy rockets over Berdyansk but did not provide specific information about casualties or damage. An unverified video circulating on a pro-Russian social media account shows explosions and rockets in Berdyansk, indicating that an ammunition dump was hit. A Russian blogger also described an attack on an airfield using US-made ATACMS rockets, causing significant damage. The Ukrainian military stated that the attack on Berdyansk occurred at 04:00 local time and on Luhansk at 11:00 local time. Berdyansk is located approximately 85km from the nearest front line, while Luhansk is almost 100km away. Clashes have persistently occurred along the front line, particularly in Ukrainian-held towns that have faced heavy bombardment from Russian forces. in recent days. Additionally, an Eastern city called Slovyansk experienced a Russian attack resulting in the destruction of a dormitory building, potentially leaving two people trapped under the rubble. Another incident in Odesa involved Russian drones damaging a yacht club and several yachts, but causing no casualties. Ukraine has been engaged in a major counter-offensive to regain territory occupied by Russia in the east and south of the country, but their progress has been slow. They have also frequently launched air attacks on Russian positions to undermine Moscow's war efforts. In response, Russia has been attacking Ukrainian positions in the east, particularly around Avdiivka and Kupyansk, resulting in heavy casualties according to Ukrainian reports.