Russia has claimed that its troops have killed up to 80 Polish fighters in the precision strikes in Ukraine's east. Russian Defence Ministry revealed that its strikes targeted the Megatex zinc factory in Konstantinovka, Donetsk region.
The development is seen as concerning as NATO could consider interfering directly in the conflict as Russia killed dozens of fighters of Poland, a NATO member.
"Up to 80 Polish mercenaries, 20 armored combat vehicles, and eight Grad multiple rocket launchers were destroyed in precision strikes on the Megatex zinc factory in Konstantinovka" in the Donetsk region, the Russian defense ministry said in a statement.
Russia also claimed that it took down Poland's flag from the Katyn massacre site, a site of mass executions of almost 22,000 Polish military officers and prisoners who were killed by the Soviet Union in 1940.
Andrei Borisov, the mayor of Smolensk confirmed the removal. "There cannot be Polish flags on Russian monuments. Even less so after the frankly anti-Russian comments by Polish political leaders," said Borisov, according to Daily Express.
Tensions Were Escalating Between Russian And Poland
Tensions between Moscow and Warsaw were simmering after Polish President Andrzej Duda compared Russian President Vladimir Putin to Adolf Hitler.
Poland, which is taking the second largest number of refugees from Ukraine, has been very proactive in supporting Ukraine by providing Kyiv humanitarian aid and multiple heavy weapons, which inflicted massive casualties on Russian troops.
Russia Now Controls Ukrainian City of Severodonetsk
The eastern Ukrainian city of Severodonetsk has fallen to Russian forces after weeks of fierce fighting. Mayor Oleksandr Stryuk warned Ukrainians still inside the city that it is no longer possible to leave Ukrainian-controlled territory, according to Sky News.
Ukrainian authorities yesterday ordered their troops to withdraw from Severodonetsk, saying they were taking heavy casualties and there was little of the city left to defend, said the report.
Meanwhile, the Russian foreign ministry has called the US decision to not let a "humanitarian" flight pick up Russian diplomats who had been ordered to leave the US "hostile" and "provocative".
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