Exiled governor reports strike on 'Wagner HQ'

The governor-in-exile of Luhansk in eastern Ukraine reports that Ukrainian soldiers have attacked the headquarters of the Russian Wagner mercenary group.

Serhiy Haidai stated that a hotel where the group convened in Kadiivka, Luhansk, had sustained significant damage.

It was impossible for the BBC to independently confirm Wagner's presence at the hotel.

Russia targeted Odessa while Ukraine bombarded a target in the occupied city of Melitopol over the weekend in southern Ukraine.

According to Western commentators, Wagner are state-sponsored mercenaries who act in the interests of the Kremlin.

The private military organization founded by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a former restaurateur and close associate of Vladimir Putin, has been regularly accused of war crimes and violations of human rights.

Wagner troops have been deployed in the past to Crimea, Syria, Libya, Mali, and the Central African Republic.

Mr. Haidai stated that Russia had sustained "major losses" in the Kadiivka attack and that he expected "at least 50 percent" of the surviving personnel to perish due to a lack of medical care.

The assault on the "Wagner HQ" in the east occurred as fighting continued in southern Ukraine.

On Saturday, the Ukrainian army announced that it had shot down ten drones, while another five had struck energy infrastructure in the port city of Odesa, leaving over 1.5 million people without electricity.

In his nightly video message, President Zelensky stated, "The situation in the Odessa region is quite challenging." "Unfortunately, the damage was severe, so it will take more than time to restore power. Rather than hours, it takes several days."

According to Ukrainian officials, Russia's Iran-made drones have attacked vital infrastructure.

On Monday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will host an online meeting of G7 leaders where more penalties against Russia and Iran would be considered.

The proposed measures would target Iran for supplying drones to Russia, but the ninth batch of Russia penalties would add over 200 more individuals to the EU sanctions list.