Local officials reported Russian shelling damaged a hospital and residential complexes in Ukraine on Tuesday, as military specialists expressed doubt about the possible impact of what Kyiv believes is a brewing Moscow offensive around the anniversary of its invasion.
The shelling in the northeastern town of Vovchansk caused multiple fires on Monday night, including one at the two-story municipal hospital, the regional State Emergency Service said in an online post.
Authorities claimed that emergency services removed eight individuals from the scene before putting out the fire, which caused no injuries.
Vovchansk is located in the Kharkiv area, which was captured by Russia when its full-scale invasion began on February 24 and retaken by Ukraine after a late-summer counteroffensive.
The predicted Russian attack may seek to reclaim territory lost during Moscow's counteroffensive. Setbacks on the battlefield in Ukraine have humiliated the Kremlin, and Russian President Vladimir Putin is eager to bolster popular support for the conflict.