Russia-Ukraine war: Drone attack in southern Ukraine damages gas pipeline

Russia launched drone attacks overnight on Kyiv and southern Ukraine, damaging a gas pipeline and residential buildings in the river and seaport of Mykolaiv, Ukraine’s military said on Sunday.

Ukraine’s southern military command said on Telegram that its air defence systems were engaged for more than five hours and destroyed 26 Russia-launched Shahed drones over several southern regions, chiefly over the Mykolaiv region near the Black Sea.

At least one civilian was injured in the southern Ukraine attack, the military said.

In Kyiv all the drones were downed on their approach and there were no casualties nor destruction in or near the capital, the military said.i

Polish farmers suspend blockade of Ukraine border

---

Zelenskiy says deliveries of US weapons must be faster

---

Russia makes more gains around Avdiivka as Ukraine awaits US aid

---

Putin seems ‘very happy’ but Russia’s advantage in Ukraine is narrowing

---

Elsewhere, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced five senior military appointments, filling out a rebooted team after he named Col Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi as the new armed forces chief.

Mr Zelenskiy said he spent Saturday meeting his military leadership and government and that experienced “combat commanders of this war” would be taking on new duties.

The president has appointed Oleksandr Pavliuk, former first deputy defence minister, as the new commander of Ukraine’s ground forces, according to a decree published on Sunday.

Mr Pavliuk, a lieutenant-general who served in the ministry role for a year, replaces Col Gen Syrskyi after he was appointed commander of Ukraine’s armed forces.

Ukraine claimed on Sunday that Russian forces were using terminals of Elon Musk’s satellite internet service Starlink in occupied areas, releasing what it said was an intercept of an exchange between two Russian soldiers as proof of its “systemic” use.

Starlink systems have been vital for Ukraine’s battlefield communications throughout Russia’s nearly two-year-old invasion as Kyiv has faced a larger and better-equipped military.

SpaceX, which runs Starlink terminals, said in a statement on X last week that it “does not do business of any kind with the Russian government or its military”, and that its service does not work in Russia. – Guardian