Ukraine assured Thursday that its army was advancing on the front despite “powerful resistance” from the Russians, especially in the south, and the continuation of the bombing campaign on Ukrainian cities. The director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, arrived at the Zaporijjia nuclear power plant, occupied by Russia, to determine in particular whether this gigantic installation was endangered by the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam on the Dnieper River, the water from which is used to cool the six reactors.
Information to remember:
- The Ukrainian army “advances” on the front despite “powerful resistance” from Russian troops, especially in the south of the country
- Ukraine announced on Thursday that it shot down a cruise missile and 20 Russian explosive drones overnight
- The director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, arrived at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant
- Kiev allies to deliver ‘hundreds’ of new air defense missiles, Zelensky calls for Swiss solidarity on armament
This displacement in this occupied zone of the south, intervenes in full Ukrainian counter-offensive to free the southern and eastern territories under Russian control. In the south, Deputy Defense Minister Ganna Maliar claimed “a gradual but certain advance” by Ukrainian soldiers, despite “powerful resistance” from Russian troops. “The Ukrainian armed forces are confronted with the total mining of the fields”, she noted, also referring to “the use of explosive drones” and “intense bombardments”.
The Russian army would practice “systematic and intentional” torture in Ukraine
A UN expert expressed concern Thursday about multiple testimonies showing that Russian troops in Ukraine “systematically and intentionally” torture civilians and prisoners of war, with the approval of the State. “Practices reported include electric shocks, beatings, balaclavas, mock executions and other death threats,” writes Alice Jill Edwards, UN special rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading, in a letter to the Russian authorities.
This could mean that “these methods of torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment are approved by the State”, writes the expert, in this letter signed with other independent experts. These experts are mandated by the UN Human Rights Council but do not speak on behalf of the organization. “Torture is a war crime and the systematic or widespread practice of torture constitutes a crime against humanity”, recalls Alice Jill Edwards, who intends to travel to Ukraine again this year to carry out her own investigation. .
kyiv allies to deliver ‘hundreds’ of new air defense missiles
Ukraine’s allies will deliver “hundreds” of air defense missiles to Kiev to protect its critical infrastructure in support of the counter-offensive launched against Russian forces, the United Kingdom announced on Thursday, the United States , the Netherlands and Denmark. The equipment is to “meet (Ukraine’s) urgent air defense needs as Russia continues its brazen missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities”, wrote the defense ministries of its four departments. country in a joint declaration.
Kyiv will receive “hundreds of short- and medium-range air defense missiles and associated systems needed to protect Ukraine’s critical infrastructure and ensure successful counter-offensive operations in the coming months”, they added. .
Zelensky calls for Swiss solidarity on armaments
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday called on Switzerland to allow kyiv’s allies to transfer weapons made in the Alpine country to Ukraine. “I know that there is a discussion in Switzerland on the re-export of war material. It would be vital to protect and defend Ukraine”, launched Volodymyr Zelensky, in a video address to the Swiss Parliament. “We need weapons to restore peace in Ukraine and on Ukrainian soil,” added the president, speaking in Ukrainian.
He was applauded, standing, at the end of his speech, which lasted about fifteen minutes, but the first Swiss party, the SVP, of the radical right, had decided not to participate in the event on behalf of Swiss neutrality. Some of the party members go so far as to accuse him of wanting to drag Switzerland into the war. Historically, Switzerland, a country of 8.9 million inhabitants, maintains a position of neutrality. This rich country – which is not part of the European Union – has however adopted all the sanctions taken by Brussels against Moscow, considering that they are compatible with its neutrality.
Ukrainian forces advance near Bakhmout
In the east, Ukrainian forces have advanced “more than three kilometers” over the past ten days in the Bakhmout area, Ganna Maliar added at a press conference, saying that “the enemy is currently mobilizing additional reserves” .
In total, the Ukrainian army has taken over “more than 100 square kilometers” in a week of fighting, said an official of the Ukrainian army general staff, Oleksiï Gromov, during the press conference. According to him, the Ukrainians advanced about three kilometers deep near the locality of Mala Tokmatchka (Zaporijzhia region) and “up to seven kilometers” south of Velyka Novossilka (southern Donetsk region), he specified.
New missile strikes in Zelensky’s hometown
On the outskirts of Bakhmout, the Ukrainians continued their operation to try to squeeze the Russian forces inside this ruined city after nearly a year of fighting. AFP journalists saw an artillery unit shelling Russian forces in Bakhmout in the Donetsk region on Thursday. Ukrainian soldiers said they were advancing slowly on the northern and southern flanks of the city.
Conversely, Russian President Vladimir Putin told him this week that the Ukrainian attacks were repelled one after the other and that the opponent’s losses were almost “catastrophic”. Russia also continued its campaign of mainly night-time bombardments of Ukrainian urban centres.
President Volodymyr Zelensky’s hometown of Krivyi Rig came under missile strikes for the second time in three days. Three missiles hit “two industrial companies that have nothing to do with the army,” local military administration chief Oleksandre Vilkoul said on Telegram, reporting one injured. The day before, 12 people were killed in the shelling of an apartment building and a warehouse. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, a fourth missile and 20 drones launched from the North and South were intercepted by air defenses across the country.
IAEA boss arrives at Zaporizhia nuclear power plant
For his part, the head of the IAEA arrived at the Zaporijjia nuclear power plant to establish whether this site, under Russian occupation, risks running out of water to cool it, following the destruction of a dam in the south which caused major flooding downstream and a risk of water shortages upstream. Originally scheduled for Wednesday, Mr. Grossi’s visit was postponed to Thursday without explanation. According to the official, who was speaking in Kiev on Tuesday, there is no “immediate danger” for the plant, but the water level in the cooling pond worries him: “There is a serious risk, because the water that is there is limited”.
In another Russian-occupied territory, the Moscow-installed governor of the Crimean peninsula, annexed in 2014, said Russian forces shot down nine Ukrainian drones. A drone, however, hit a village in the center of the peninsula, breaking the windows of several houses. No casualties have been identified.
Finally, the Russian electoral commission announced Thursday the holding of local “elections” on September 10 in the territories that Russia occupies in Ukraine and of which it has claimed the annexation in September 2022. These polls aim, according to the authority, to elect regional assemblies and municipal councils, even though fighting is raging there and Moscow controls only part of the regions of Lugansk and Donetsk in the east, Zaporijjia and Kherson in the south.