Russia reported on Wednesday that it had pushed deeper into Ukrainian defensive lines over the past day, while Ukraine asserted that it had repelled Russian attacks.
In its daily briefing, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that in the past 24 hours its forces struck targets in 153 areas, including military fuel and energy infrastructure, long-range drone storage and launch sites, as well as temporary deployment points of Ukrainian troops and foreign mercenaries.
The ministry also announced that Russian air defense systems had downed 139 fixed-wing drones, and that its forces had taken control of two settlements in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions.
Also on Wednesday, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that 153 clashes occurred along the frontline in the past 24 hours.
Ukrainian forces had repelled Russian assaults from multiple fronts and shot down 1,355 drones, it said.
In addition, Ukrainian missile and artillery units struck one Russian personnel concentration area, four command posts, one air defense system, and nine artillery pieces.
Russia pushes deeper into Ukrainian defensive lines, Ukraine repels Russian attacks
Polish citizens are feeling the squeeze of surging energy costs, as the conflict in the Middle East continues to roil the international energy market,
In Poland, rising fuel prices are gradually making their way into everyday life and the real economy. Many residents said higher energy costs are taking a heavy toll.
"I do think about this issue more and try to reduce my fuel consumption. Overall, everything happening right now is unsettling," said Pawel, a Warsaw resident.
"I really feel it. Prices have gone up a lot. We're trying to cope and can manage for now. Taxi fares haven't increased yet, but it's definitely getting harder," said Wiktor, another resident.
"Of course it has affected us. Because fuel prices have gone up, everything else is more expensive and costs more now," said Anita, another local resident.
Meanwhile, those working in the transport and service sectors said rising oil prices are directly impacting their businesses.
"The courier industry, like most taxi drivers, is soon going to face closure and be forced out of business. I used to drive international long-distance buses, and honestly, some people in that sector are also thinking about quitting," said Michal, another Warsaw resident.
Lukasz Goczek, a professor from the Department of Macroeconomics and Theory of Foreign Trade at the University of Warsaw, said the continued shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy corridor, could leave global energy prices elevated for a long time, heavily impacting the world economy.
"Iran has this huge leverage. It's got the whole world in a chokehold because 20 percent of oil that's transported in the world goes through the Strait. It obviously means that the price of energy is going to increase. We see it at the petrol stations," said Goczek.
Goczek also noted that U.S. and Israeli military actions against Iran have dealt a serious blow to the international order.
"I think that's pretty much, by now, the international law. If it's not that, it's definitely very, very illegal. There wasn't any reason for war. It just straightforwardly began without any warning. So it was much of a surprise. We need the international order to have peace, to prosper, to have trade," said Goczek.
Rising energy costs squeeze Polish households, businesses
