Russia said yesterday that its offensive against Sievierodonetsk in eastern Ukraine was proceeding successfully after it took control of a district in the outskirts of the city.

“The offensive in the Sievierodonetsk direction is developing successfully,” Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in a video statement. He said the settlement of Metyolkine, on the eastern outskirts of the city, had been taken.

“The armed forces of the Russian Federation continue to strike military targets on the territory of Ukraine,” he said.

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Konashenkov said long-range Kalibr cruise missiles struck a command centre in the Dnipropetrovsk region, killing Ukrainian generals and officers, including from the general staff.

Reuters was unable to independently verify the details or toll of Russia’s strikes on Ukraine.

Russia also said it had destroyed 10 155-mm M777 howitzers and up to 20 military vehicles in the Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv that had been supplied by Western countries over the past 10 days.

Iskander missiles struck a Kharkiv tank repair plant in Ukraine, destroying two multiple rocket launch systems, Konashenkov said.

Teachers’ union extends nationwide partial strike, classes delayed till 10:00 a.m. today
Israeli public schools will begin late yet again, with studies starting at 10:00 a.m. Monday, rather than 8:00, as the Israel Teachers Union extended its partial strike.

The nationwide two-hour strike was called for Monday after union chief Yaffa Ben-David accused the Israeli government of ignoring the union’s demands.

“If Lapid, Bennett, and Liberman want to end this crisis, they can do it immediately,” Ben-David said Sunday night. “But apparently they enjoy watching millions of parents, who anyway are barely able to handle the high cost of living in this country, are now have to suffer with the lack of certainty in the educational system.”

“I call on them once again: Come to the negotiating table and see how the officials behave. The sanctions were intensified after Finance Ministry officials came to a meeting unprepared and without a budget plan.”

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Israel’s teachers’ union has held partial strikes across the country over the past few days, beginning school two hours late, each time in a different region of the country.

The union is demanding a new wage agreement for teachers, and has rejected Finance Minister Avidgor Liberman’s plan to cut summer vacation to one month and to link bonuses to teacher performance.

The strikes affect preschools, elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools around Israel, while special education institutions and classes are exempt.