![](https://static.independent.co.uk/2023/11/01/10/SEI177575166.jpg?width=1200&auto=webp)
Aftermath of Russian missile strike on Ukraine mail depot that killed six
Russian forces are trying to regroup and recover their losses near the eastern Ukrainian city of Avdiivka, where heavy fighting has been ongoing since mid-October.
This comes after Putin’s troops bombarded 118 Ukrainian towns and villages over the course of 24 hours, the most intense day of shelling this year, Kyiv said.
Communities near the front lines in the east and south were targeted, with 10 out of 27 of Ukraine’s regions coming under attack.
Vladimir Putin’s warplanes have dropped “explosive objects” into the paths of civilian shipping lanes in the Black Sea, the region’s military command said.
“The occupiers are continuing to terrorise the paths of civilian shipping in the Black Sea with tactical aviation, dropping explosive objects into the likely paths of civilian vessel traffic,” it said.
“There were three such drops registered in the last 24 hours. However, the navigation corridor continues to function under the watch of the defence forces.”
Ukraine is trying to build up a new shipping lane without Russian approval to revive its vital seaborne exports. But Russia said it would consider any vessel a potential military target after it quit UN-brokered deal allowing Ukrainian goods to pass through.