Ukraine shells and bombs regions that want to join Russia

Headquarters of "We are Together with Russia" movement was exploded in the city of Melitopol, Vladimir Rogov, a member of the main council of the administration of the Zaporozhye (also spelled as Zaporizhzhia) region said in his Telegram channel.

"Ukraine has committed another terrorist act. Headquarters in Melitopol on Lomonosov Street, 234 was blown up. Information on damage and victims is yet to be specified," Vladimir Rogov wrote on Telegram.

As Rogov noted, the Armed Forces of Ukraine opened fire on Melitopol and Berdyansk after the publication of the results of a survey about the willingness of local residents to vote for their regions becoming part of Russia.

"Despite being ineffective, the tactics of intimidating civilians still lives in the heads of the leaders of the terrorist state," Rogov also wrote.

It was later reported that no one was hurt in the explosion near the headquarters of the movement. There was only material damage caused, Rogov said adding that there were two explosions near the headquarters. The first one was a "bait."

"They wanted to carry out the first explosion, and when people would gather to find out what happened, they would blow up the second bomb," Rogov wrote.

The second explosion took place some time later indeed, but specialists prevented this scenario and did not allow any casualties or major damage to happen, Rogov added.

On the evening of Wednesday, September 7, five explosions took place in Melitopol.

Half an hour later, it was said that air defense system in Berdyansk shot down an attack unmanned aerial vehicle of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Ukraine shells Kherson

In early September, it was reported that more than ten explosions took place in the Kherson region. According to deputy head of the local administration, Kirill Stremousov, air defense systems were on alert in the city at all times.

"There is chaotic shelling going on — residential buildings, the river port yesterday, the hotel — all purely civilian infrastructure," Kirill Stremousov deputy head of the local administration said.

According to Reuters, the Armed Forces of Ukraine went on an offensive on the southern front. A representative for the Ukrainian Defence Ministry, Natalya Gumenyuk, confirmed that the Ukrainian army launched offensive operations in various directions, including in the Kherson region.

Later, the head of the Russian Defense Ministry, Sergei Shoygu, said that Kyiv only wanted to make create an illusion for the West of the ability of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to conduct an offensive.

On September 7, the Institute for Social Marketing (INSOMAR) published the results of a study, according to which 71 percent of the residents of the Zaporozhye (Zaporizhzhia) region and 63 percent of the Kherson region supported the annexation of their regions to Russia. Another six and seven percent of the survey participants supported the idea of their regions becoming independent states.