VOA新闻杂志2022--乌官员称利沃夫遭导弹袭击 至少7人死亡

Ukrainian officials say Russian missiles hit the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, killing¹ at least seven people. Russian forces are targeting areas across Ukraine in an attempt to weaken the country's defenses.

Lviv had escaped the worst violence of the Russian invasion that began almost two months ago. People believed the city was safe.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, meanwhile, promised to "fight absolutely to the end" in strategically important Mariupol. The few Ukrainian fighters remaining there ignored a surrender-or-die message from the Russians on Sunday.

Maksym Kozytskyy is the governor of the Lviv region. He said the Russian missile strikes hit three military facilities and an automobile³ repair shop. He said the wounded included a child.

A hotel sheltering Ukrainians who had fled fighting in other parts of the country was among the buildings badly damaged, Lviv's mayor said.

"The nightmare of war has caught up with us even in Lviv," said Lyudmila Turchak, who fled with two children from the eastern city of Kharkiv.

Military experts say Russia is increasing strikes on weapons factories, railways and other infrastructure⁴ targets across Ukraine. The Russian military wants to weaken the country's ability to defend against a major ground war in the Donbas. Donbas is Ukraine's mostly Russian-speaking eastern area.

The Russian military claimed its missiles struck more than 20 military targets in eastern and central Ukraine in the past day. The military also said it hit another 315 Ukrainian targets, and launched 108 strikes on Ukrainian troops and military equipment. The claims could not be confirmed by The Associated Press.

Ukraine's government halted civilian⁵ evacuations for a second day on Monday. It said Russian forces were attacking and blocking passages used by civilians⁶ to flee.

The government of the Luhansk area in the Donbas said four civilians trying to escape were shot and killed by Russian forces.

Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said Russia could be tried for war crimes over its refusal to permit civilians to leave Mariupol.

Russia is set on capturing the Donbas after its attempt to take Kyiv failed. Russian-backed separatists already control some territory in the Donbas.

"We are doing everything to ensure the defense²" of eastern Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly speech to the nation on Sunday.

The offensive in the east, if successful, would give Russian President Vladimir Putin a needed victory. Many Russian soldiers have died, and sanctions are badly hurting the country's economy.

The capture of Mariupol is an important step for any eastern advance by the Russians. The major port city sits on the Sea of Azov and would give Russia its biggest military victory of the war.

The attack on Mariupol has killed at least 21,000 people, by Ukrainian estimates. An estimated 100,000 people remain in the city out of a prewar population of 450,000.

Russian forces bombed the eastern city of Kharkiv Monday in an attack that killed at least three people and wounded three others, said AP reporters on the scene.

One of the dead was a woman who appeared to be going out to collect water in the rain. She was found lying with a water container and umbrella by her side.

Words in This Story

strategic — adj. of or relating to a general plan that is created to achieve a goal in war, politics, etc., usually over a long period of time

nightmare — n. a very bad or frightening experience or situation

infrastructure — n. the basic equipment and structures (such as roads and bridges) that are needed for a country, region, or organization to function properly

evacuate⁷ — v. to remove (someone) from a dangerous place

ensure — v. to make sure, certain, or safe

advance — v. to move forward

umbrella — n. a device that is used for protection from the rain and sun

1 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

2 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

3 automobile   

n.汽车，机动车

参考例句：

• He is repairing the brake lever of an automobile.他正在修理汽车的刹车杆。
• The automobile slowed down to go around the curves in the road.汽车在路上转弯时放慢了速度。

4 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

5 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

6 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

7 evacuate   

v.遣送；搬空；抽出；排泄；大(小)便

参考例句：

• We must evacuate those soldiers at once!我们必须立即撤出这些士兵！
• They were planning to evacuate the seventy American officials still in the country.他们正计划转移仍滞留在该国的70名美国官员。