It is the 189th day of the war in Ukraine. Moscow confirms that the Nord Stream gas pipeline will be shut down for maintenance from tomorrow, Wednesday 31 August, to Saturday 3 September. The gas war scares Europe. The Italian government is preparing a new decree to extend the cut in excise duties on petrol for another 15 days. In this way, petrol and diesel prices will be controlled until 5 October.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (Aiea) Rafael Mariano Grossi and his delegation before visiting the Zaporizhzhia power plant. This is while the Ukrainians reveal that “the Russian Federation is deliberately bombing the corridors used by the Agency’s mission to reach the nuclear power plant” with the aim of diverting it to the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea and the regions of Donetsk and Lugansk “.
On the fighting quadrant, Russia is forming large convoys of military vehicles in the Crimea and sending them to the Kherson region, while Ukrainian forces bomb the bridges so that they do not get close to the front line. For now, pro-Russians only admit that the region has been hit by a partial power outage. The Russian media also spoke of a stop to the water supply, as well as the turning off of traffic lights and building lights. Between the lines, it could be the confirmation, also from the Russian side, that the Ukrainian forces have launched the long-awaited counter-offensive to retake the southern region from Russia’s hands.
Meanwhile, Europe is divided on the stop on visas for Russians.
Report – In the trenches of Zaporizhzhia
The story – Peace, lasagna and football: Mariupol orphans return to Ukraine
How to donate – Mirror of the Times Foundation
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00.14 – Johnson: with Putin’s aggression against Ukraine his example remains
“I am saddened to hear of Gorbachev’s death. I have always admired the courage and integrity he showed in bringing the Cold War to a peaceful end. ‘ Outgoing British Prime Minister Boris Johnson wrote in a tweet “In a period of Putin’s aggression in Ukraine, his tireless commitment to opening up Soviet society remains an example for all of us”.
00.01 – Zelensky: we will do everything to support the Aiea mission
«The representatives of the International Atomic Energy Agency (Aiea) have already arrived in our country and should visit the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. This is an important mission and we are doing everything to ensure that it runs safely and functions to its maximum. Unfortunately, Russia does not stop the provocations precisely in the directions from which the mission must arrive at the plant, but I hope that the IAEA mission can start working ». This was stated in his usual evening video message to the nation by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who this afternoon met with the delegation of the UN agency, led by director general Rafael Grossi.
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