Strikes reportedly targeted a Russian military base near Russian-occupied Melitopol, according to Petro Andryushchenko, former Mariupol mayoral advisor and head of the Center for the Study of Occupation on Jan. 7.
Petro Andryushchenko reported that Ukrainian forces delivered "Christmas greetings" to Russian bases near Melitopol, with strikes lasting 20 minutes.
Local residents reported seeing a convoy of ambulances heading to the site, though occupation authorities have remained silent.
Russian forces seized Melitopol on Feb. 24, 2022. Former Mayor Ivan Fedorov later reflected on how the city fell quickly, sharing in an interview with Radio NV that initial hopes for swift international intervention to stop Russia were unfulfilled.