Heavy fighting is currently raging in southern Ukraine. In the process, Ukraine repeatedly succeeds in hitting Russian infrastructure and supply routes. Russia wants to replace a destroyed bridge with pontoons – and the Kremlin could hit particularly hard on Ukraine’s Independence Day.
According to the Ukrainian military, Russia is continuing its attacks in the area around the largest European nuclear power plant in Zaporizhia. The General Staff said there had been artillery fire and air raids again. In light of the 31st anniversary of Ukraine’s independence from the Soviet Union, Kyiv and US officials fear that Russia could plan increased attacks on civilian infrastructure and government facilities in the coming days. Fear of renewed attacks is fueled by the fact that Russia blames Ukraine for the deadly bombing of nationalist Alexander Dugin’s daughter, Darya Dugina. Ukraine rejects this.
In the Zaporizhia region, Russia has shelled several places, the Ukrainian general staff said. Russia and Ukraine have repeatedly accused each other of shelling the nuclear power plant area. The information cannot be independently verified. The nuclear power plant has been occupied by Russian troops since March, but continues to be operated by Ukrainian technicians. Russia has requested a meeting of the UN Security Council on Zaporizhia for Tuesday, the state news agency RIA reported.
For fear of Russian rocket attacks, the authorities in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv banned all major Independence Day events on Wednesday. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned over the weekend that Russia could do “something particularly evil” on the August 24th commemoration day. On that day, Ukraine traditionally celebrates independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Russia invaded the neighboring country on February 24 this year and has described its action as a special operation with the aim of destroying military capacities and taking action against nationalists classified as dangerous . Ukraine and its allies speak of a war of aggression.
In connection with the deadly bomb attack on the daughter of a leading Russian nationalist, the USA declared that it condemned any attack on civilians without any ifs or buts. A State Department spokesman in Washington declined to say whether the US government knew who was responsible for the killing of political journalist Darya Dugina, daughter of Russian ideologue Alexander Dugin. There is no doubt that Russia will present “certain conclusions”. The Russian domestic secret service (FSB) blamed Ukrainian secret services for the attack, Russian news agencies reported.
However, Ukraine has recently repeatedly successfully destroyed Russian infrastructure. For example, the Antonivskyj Bridge in the city of Cherson occupied by Russian troops. According to British estimates, Russia is now trying to replace them with the help of pontoons. The bridge is of central importance for supplying Russian troops in the occupied southern Ukrainian city of Cherson. In the past few weeks, both the Russian military and the local population have been dependent on a ferry, the British Ministry of Defense said. “If Russia completes the improvised bridge, it will almost certainly increase the crossing’s capacity compared to the ferry.”
In Nova Kakhovka, about 60 kilometers east of Cherson, the Ukrainian armed forces struck a dam. According to the Russian occupation administration, the HIMARS multiple rocket launcher shelling was intended to make the dam impassable for Russian troops. Two people are said to have died in the attack. It is unclear whether the dam is actually no longer passable. There was no confirmation of the incident from the Ukrainian side.
