On the 172nd day of the war, Ukrainian troops strengthen their positions in the south of the country. Kiev has carried out two deadly raids on the supply lines of the Russian military, which since the beginning of the war have occupied the Kherson region. “They can’t do anything about it on the battlefield,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said. But Moscow replies that massive military aid from the West to Kiev will not prevent a Russian victory and the Defense Ministry announces that the armed forces have taken control of Pisky, a center on the outskirts of the city of Donetsk, the provincial capital that the pro-Moscow separatists have controlled since 2014.
Meanwhile, the eyes of the world remain focused on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which has been targeted by new bombings. Moscow and Kiev accuse each other and Russia reiterates that it will not give up control of the plant. «Let’s not waste a single day – is Zelensky’s message of encouragement to the population -, let’s reduce the potential of the invaders».
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text and photos by rick mave
Updates by the hour
00.17 – Moscow: Aiea should visit Zaporizhzhia in late August
Moscow believes that the International Atomic Energy Agency “should not postpone the visit to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant” and send its mission to the plant “in late August or early September”. This was stated by the permanent representative of Russia to the international organizations in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov, in an interview with Tass. “But not everything depends on us,” added the diplomat.
11:15 pm – Zelensky: we will do everything to block nuclear industry
“Ukrainian diplomats and representatives of partner countries will do everything to ensure that the new sanctions against Russia block Moscow’s nuclear industry.” This was stated by the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, in his usual evening address to the nation. “Every day the Russian contingent stays on the territory of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and in the neighboring regions the threat of radiation increases for Europe – he added -, so much so that not even at the peak of the confrontation during the Cold War there was a (threat) such. Of course, there has to be a strong reaction to this. ‘
Ukraine-Russia war, what happened on 13 August