Day 607 of the Invasion of Ukraine: Russia Steps Up Attacks on Avdiivka and Kherson

Day 607 of the invasion of Ukraine. Summary of key events in the last 24 hours:

• Russia steps up attacks on Avdiivka and Kherson
• The Ukrainian Air Force reported that they shot down 14 drones and a cruise missile over different parts of the country
• Zelensky said that Ukraine will not break and will push the Russian evil out of its territory
• The British Army is training Ukrainian specialists to protect critical infrastructure
• A Russian court extended the arrest of journalist Alsu Kurmasheva

Russia steps up attacks on Avdiivka and Kherson

Russian forces stepped up pressure on Sunday against the Ukrainian-held city of Avdiivka in the east and increased shelling in the southern region of Kherson, Reuters reported.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in its evening report that Ukrainian forces had repelled nearly 20 Russian attacks around Avdiivka, with its building stock now almost entirely destroyed by shells. Russia has also hit nearby villages from the air.

Avdiivka is seen as a strategically important point for controlling the city of Donetsk and the rest of Donbas. It was briefly captured by the Russians in 2014, but then retaken by Ukrainian forces, who over the next nine years built solid fortifications, Reuters writes.

"It is true that Avdiivka matters," Andriy Yusov, spokesman for the Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, told the Espreso TV news channel.

"This is not the first case when the occupying forces increase the tension with declarations of taking over all of Donetsk and Luhansk... Their plans...