Kyiv reports Russia's unprecedented aggression, hitting numerous Ukrainian settlements in a single day in ongoing Ukraine war.

According to Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko, Russia launched attacks on 118 Ukrainian towns and villages within a span of 24 hours, marking the highest number of bombings in a single day this year. These attacks occurred in 10 out of Ukraine's 27 regions and resulted in casualties. Many of the targeted communities were located near the front lines in the eastern and southern regions. Avdiivka, a strategically significant town in Donetsk, was a primary focus of Russia's military firepower in recent weeks. Local leader Vitaliy Barabash described Avdiivka as being destroyed and shattered, with over 40 intense shelling attacks within a day. He reported the death of two civilians and warned that Russia was preparing for a third wave of offense. Ukrainian armed forces successfully repelled twenty attacks in the Avdiivka area on Tuesday. Russia also intensified attacks on the town of Kupyansk in the northeastern Kharkiv region and hindered Ukrainian forces' efforts to regain control of the territory around Bakhmut. Furthermore, there were attacks in non-frontline areas, such as a block of flats, shops, and a pharmacy in the southern city of Nikopol and a disused oil refinery in Kremenchuk, targeted by a Russian drone. The Kremenchuk refinery, previously the largest in Ukraine, has been repeatedly attacked by Russia, rendering it inoperable since the invasion began. Ukraine's counteroffensive has struggled to make progress in reclaiming Russian-occupied land in the south and east, prompting concerns about Western fatigue with the conflict. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, a close ally of the Ukrainian leader, acknowledged such fatigue during a hoax call with Russian pranksters known for targeting Kremlin opponents. She expressed that fatigue was prevalent on all sides and there was a growing realization that a way out of the conflict was necessary. The US administration under President Joe Biden has requested approval from Congress for a $106 billion package in support of Ukraine and Israel. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned that Russia's President Vladimir Putin would be successful without US assistance. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the nation, noting the tendency to become accustomed to success quickly but expressed pride in the military's success in reducing Russia's control over the Black Sea. Ukrainian attacks have targeted the headquarters of Russia's Black Sea fleet, causing most of its ships to leave occupied Crimea. Ukraine has attempted to create a safe export corridor for civilian ships transporting grain along the Black Sea coast, passing through Romanian waters and onwards to the Turkish coast. Although a significant amount of grain has evaded Russian bombardment, Ukrainian officials reported that warplanes dropped explosive objects along the expected paths of civilian ships. However, the navigational corridor remains functional under the protection of the defense forces, according to Ukraine's southern operational command. On the other hand, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu claimed that despite receiving new weapons from NATO, Ukraine was losing the war and experiencing heavy losses in its attempts to advance into Russian-held areas. He also asserted that demoralization among Ukrainian personnel was growing while Russian units were advancing. The claims made by both sides could not be independently verified by the BBC.