Russian airstrike targets Kherson, at least 18 injured
Russian forces carried out an airstrike against central Kherson on May 15, injuring at least 18 people, local authorities reported.
Among the injured were a 15-year-old boy and his 53-year-old father, as well as an 88-year-old man. The boy's father was hospitalized with shrapnel wounds.
The Russian strike damaged several residential buildings and an educational institution, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said.
The number of casualties had risen to 18 as of 5 p.m. local time, according to Roman Mrochko, head of the city’s military administration. At least 15 people were hospitalized, including three in serious condition, Mrochko reported.
Ukraine's Armed Forces liberated Kherson and other regional settlements on the west bank of the Dnipro River during the Fall 2022 counteroffensive. Russian troops were pushed to the river's east bank, from where they have since been firing at the liberated territories. These attacks have regularly resulted in civilian deaths and large-scale destruction of homes and infrastructure.
Photos - Kherson Oblast Administration
Russians attacked Dnipro, damaging infrastructure, killing two
On May 15, Russian forces launched an attack against the city of Dnipro, killing at least two people and causing significant damage to infrastructure, Governor Serhii Lysak reported.
Several individuals were injured in the attack, although their exact number and condition are still being assessed, Lysak added.
Dnipro, Ukraine's fourth-largest city located in eastern-central Ukraine, has been a vital logistics and humanitarian hub throughout the full-scale war.
Since 2022, Russian forces have conducted numerous deadly attacks against Dnipro and the surrounding region, causing extensive damage and loss of life.
Russian aerial bomb strike injured 3 healthcare workers near Kharkiv
A Russian aerial bomb strike injured two nurses and a doctor in Mala Danylivka, a village on the outskirts of Kharkiv, the community's head, Oleksandr Hololobov, reported to Suspilne Kharkiv on May 15.
Mala Danylivka, located about 25 kilometers (15 miles) from the Russian border, has been close to intense battles since May 10. The bomb strike targeted a residential neighborhood, damaging a hospital and several cars parked nearby.
Hololobov confirmed that the attack resulted in serious injuries among the medical staff: one nurse sustained a traumatic brain injury, while the head doctor suffered a concussion. The second nurse was also injured.
Local authorities are now evaluating how to continue treating patients and repairing the hospital's damage, Hololobov added.
This incident follows a similar attack on May 2, when a Russian glide bomb struck the nearby town of Derhachi, about 5 kilometers (3 miles) north of Mala Danylivka, injuring at least eight people.
Blinken: Ukraine Must Decide on Use of U.S.-Supplied Weapons
On May 15, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized that Ukraine "has to make decisions for itself" regarding the use of U.S.-supplied weapons capable of striking targets inside Russian territory. Speaking in Kyiv during a press conference, Blinken addressed concerns about the limitations imposed by Washington on Ukraine's military operations.
When asked about Ukrainian complaints regarding a ban that prevents them from attacking Russian forces as they build up before crossing into Kharkiv Oblast, Blinken clarified the U.S. stance. "We've not enabled or encouraged strikes outside of Ukraine, but ultimately, Ukraine has to make decisions for itself about how it's going to conduct this war," he said.
The U.S. has provided Ukraine with long-range ATACMS missiles, which Ukraine reportedly used to strike Russian targets in occupied Crimea. However, Washington's restrictions, according to Ukrainian officials, prevent similar attacks within Russian territory.
David Arakhamia, the parliamentary leader of President Volodymyr Zelensky's party, the Servant of the People, criticized the policy. "The main problem right now is the White House policy to limit our capability" to strike military targets inside Russia, he stated.
Oleksandra Ustinova, head of Ukraine's parliamentary commission on arms and ammunition, echoed these concerns in an interview with Politico. "We saw their military sitting one or two kilometers from the border inside Russia, and there was nothing we could do about that," she said, noting that Russian forces were aware of the restriction preventing Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory.
Despite these limitations, Blinken announced that Washington will provide Ukraine with an additional $2 billion in foreign military financing to support its defense efforts.