Ukraine struggle: Russia targets Zaporizhzhia area as Kyiv bans Independence Day festivities

Ukrainians residing close by voiced fears shells might hit one of many plant’s six reactors, with disastrous penalties.

Russia is making ready to launch renewed strikes towards Ukraine’s authorities services and infrastructure within the coming days, mentioned a US official, citing intelligence experiences. The official, who requested to not be recognized, warned {that a} new wave of assaults would pose an elevated threat to civilian populations in Ukraine.

The State Division urged US residents to depart the nation resulting from threats to their security, based on a press release posted on the web site of the American embassy in Ukraine.

US officers met with Russian Ambassador Anatoly Antonov on the State Division on August 18 to warn towards escalation in Ukraine and to name on Russia to halt army operations round Ukrainian nuclear services, based on a division spokesperson who briefed reporters on situation of anonymity.

Antonov has characterised the assembly as centered on visas for Russian diplomats to the annual United Nations Basic Meeting in September, whereas the US mentioned the main target was on the struggle in Ukraine typically and on the standing of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear facility specifically.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that Moscow might strive “one thing significantly ugly” within the run-up to Wednesday’s thirty first independence anniversary, which additionally marks half a 12 months since Russia invaded.

Fearing renewed rocket assaults, authorities in Kyiv moved to ban public occasions associated to the independence anniversary from Monday till Thursday. The capital is way from the entrance traces and has solely not often been hit by Russian missiles since Ukraine repelled a floor offensive to grab the capital in March.

The automotive bombing that killed Darya Dugina was a “dastardly, brutal crime,” Putin mentioned in a message of condolence to her father, a far-right political theorist who’s an outspoken advocate of Russia’s struggle in Ukraine.

Putin’s message, posted on the Kremlin’s Telegram channel, got here after Russia’s Federal Safety Service accused Ukrainian particular companies of orchestrating the assault on Saturday. Ukraine has denied any function within the killing.

Officers at Russian state tv plan a memorial ceremony at Moscow’s primary TV centre on Tuesday for Dugina, who appeared as a commentator on its channels, state-run Tass reported.

The United Nations picked employees to analyze and verify the info behind a missile strike on a Russia-held camp within the occupied Ukrainian city of Olenivka final month that resulted in dozens of Ukrainian prisoners of struggle killed.

United Nation Secretary-Basic Antonio Guterres appointed retired Lieutenant Basic Carlos Alberto dos Santos Cruz of Brazil to guide the fact-finding mission, with Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir of Iceland and Issoufou Yacouba of Niger as the opposite members.

Whereas Ukraine and Russia have traded blame for the assault, European intelligence has dismissed Moscow’s claims that ammunition offered by the US was used to hit the power after analysing injury captured in satellite tv for pc photographs.

A minimum of 972 kids in Ukraine have been verified as killed or injured because the struggle escalated practically six months in the past, a mean of greater than 5 kids every day, UNICEF Government Director Catherine Russell mentioned in an emailed assertion.

“We consider the true quantity to be a lot increased,” she mentioned. UNICEF estimates that one in 10 faculties in Ukraine have been broken or destroyed.

Ukraine’s high military Commander Valeriy Zaluzhnyi instructed a televised discussion board for veterans that nearly 9,000 servicemen have been killed combating towards Russia’s invasion.

The toll was a rise since April, when Zelensky mentioned Ukraine had misplaced as many as 3,000 troopers because the begin of the struggle. Talking on the similar discussion board as Zaluzhnyi, the president mentioned that about 1 million Ukrainians are serving within the military and in different safety businesses.

It’s uncommon for both Russia or Ukraine to make statements on their very own casualties, whereas they often cite numbers of killed and wounded for the enemy which may be inflated.

The European Union’s overseas coverage chief pushed again towards a proposal by some member states bordering Russia to stop the nation’s residents from coming into the bloc, as its overseas ministers put together to debate stopping vacationer visas subsequent week.

“To forbid the doorway to all of the Russians isn’t a good suggestion,” Josep Borrell mentioned at a convention in Spain. “We’ve to be extra selective.” The EU is about to debate banning journey visas for Russian vacationers at a gathering of the bloc’s overseas ministers in Prague this month, with international locations equivalent to Estonia, Latvia and Finland urging a bloc-wide ban, whereas German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has urged warning.

Further reporting Related Press