Russian missile wrecks apartment block, killing 3, as EU leaders visit Kyiv - Reuters

KYIV, Feb 2 (Reuters) - A Russian rocket destroyed an flat gathering successful the eastbound Ukrainian metropolis of Kramatorsk, sidesplitting astatine slightest 3 people, constabulary said, arsenic apical European Union officials arrived successful Kyiv for talks seen arsenic cardinal to Ukraine's pivot towards the West.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy vowed much anti-corruption measures arsenic authorities continued raids up of Friday's EU meeting, reflecting his determination to amusement that Kyiv tin beryllium a reliable steward of billions of dollars successful aid.

"We are present unneurotic to amusement that the EU stands by Ukraine arsenic firmly arsenic ever. And to deepen further our enactment and cooperation," the caput of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, tweeted arsenic she arrived successful Kyiv by bid connected Thursday.

Ukraine sees the gathering arsenic important to its hopes of joining the bloc, a process apt to instrumentality years.

In his evening video address, Zelenskiy besides gave different bleak appraisal of the battlefield concern arsenic Russian forces continued to marque incremental gains successful the eastbound of the state arsenic the archetypal day of Moscow's penetration looms connected Feb. 24.

In Kramatorsk, a Russian Iskander-K tactical rocket struck astatine 9:45 p.m. (1945 GMT) connected Wednesday, sidesplitting astatine slightest 3 radical and injuring 20 others, constabulary said.

"At slightest 8 flat buildings were damaged. One of them was wholly destroyed," constabulary said successful a Facebook post.

"People whitethorn stay nether the rubble."

Kramatorsk is astir 55 km (34 miles) northwest of Bakhmut, presently the main absorption of warring successful eastbound Ukraine.

'TOUGHER' ON EASTERN FRONT

Russia, determined to marque advancement earlier Ukraine gets recently promised Western conflict tanks and armoured vehicles, has picked up momentum connected the battlefield and announced advances northbound and southbound of Bakhmut, which has suffered persistent Russian bombardment for months.

"Definite summation has been noted successful the violative operations of the occupiers connected the beforehand successful the eastbound of our country. The concern has go tougher," Zelenskiy said successful his evening video broadcast.

"The force is trying to execute astatine slightest thing present to amusement that Russia has immoderate chances connected the day of the invasion," helium added.

Bakhmut and 10 towns and villages astir it came nether Russian fire, the Ukrainian subject said precocious connected Wednesday.

Avdiivka, different large Russian target, the adjacent municipality of Maryinka and immoderate neighbouring settlements were besides hit, the subject added.

Russian forces are pushing from some the northbound and southbound to encircle Bakhmut, utilizing their superior unit numbers to effort to chopped it disconnected from re-supply and unit the Ukrainians out, Ukrainian subject expert Yevhen Dikiy said.

"This for america is the astir hard scenario," Dikiy told Espreso TV.

"The force is capable to usage its sole resource, which it has successful excess, its men," helium said, describing a scenery to the northeast of Bakhmut "literally covered with corpses".

Ukraine and its Western allies accidental Moscow has taken immense losses astir Bakhmut, sending successful waves of poorly equipped troops, including thousands of convicts recruited from prisons arsenic mercenaries.

A erstwhile commandant of Russia's Wagner mercenary radical who fled to Norway successful January told Reuters helium wanted to apologise for warring successful Ukraine and was speaking retired to bring perpetrators of atrocities to justice.

"First of all, repeatedly, and again, I would similar to apologise," Andrei Medvedev, 26, said.

ROCKETS

Ukraine has secured pledges of weapons from the West offering caller capabilities - the latest expected this week to include rockets from the United States that would astir treble the scope of Ukrainian forces.

"We're focused connected providing Ukraine the capableness that it needs to beryllium effectual successful its upcoming anticipated counter- violative successful the spring," U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said during a sojourn to the Philippines connected Thursday.

The caller weapons would enactment each of Russia's proviso lines successful eastbound Ukraine, arsenic good arsenic parts of Crimea, within range of Ukrainian forces.

Moscow says specified rockets volition escalate the struggle but not alteration its course.

"The greater the scope of the weapons supplied to the Kyiv authorities the much we volition person to propulsion them backmost from territories which are portion of our country," Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told Russian authorities TV connected Thursday. Moscow claims to person annexed 4 Ukrainian provinces past year, arsenic good arsenic Crimea which it seized successful 2014.

Russian forces are probing areas of weakness successful Ukraine's defences connected the occidental edges of Luhansk region, its politician Serhiy Gaidai told Ukrainian TV connected Thursday.

"The magnitude of shelling has increased, the fig of attacks successful the absorption of Svatove-Kreminna has increased... They are piling up our positions with bodies," Gaidai said.

Reuters could not corroborate the battlefield reports.

President Vladimir Putin sent troops into Ukraine past February successful a "special subject operation" to "disarm" its neighbour. He present casts the run arsenic a combat to support Russia against an assertive West. Ukraine and the West telephone it an amerciable warfare to grow Russian territory.

Reporting by Reuters bureaux Writing by Himani Sarkar and Gareth Jones Editing by Robert Birsel and Peter Graff

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