The Ukrainian police arrested six “supporters of the Russians” in the heavily contested Bakhmut (Donetsk region). This was announced by the first deputy chief of the police department in the city. “Yes, we also meet such people on our Ukrainian land,” says Oleksiy Biloshitskyi. And further: “We will continue to hold these werewolves.”
What exactly the collaborators are accused of is still unclear. For comparison, in the Vinnitsya region, a local resident is currently on trial for publishing video footage offering support to Russian troops. He also denied the war against Ukraine on social media.
After the shelling of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine, the danger of a further escalation of the war increases. For the second time in a few days, Moscow and Kyiv have accused each other of shelling the facility. The Ukrainian army fired a rocket at the nuclear power plant on Sunday night, the Russian news agency Interfax reported, citing the occupation administration in the city of Enerhodar, where the power plant is located.
The Ukrainian nuclear agency Enerhoatom, on the other hand, accused the Russians of shelling the site under their control themselves. The information provided by both sides could not initially be checked independently.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is calling on both sides to allow independent nuclear experts unhindered access to the facility. IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said Friday’s previous attack underscored “the very real threat of a nuclear catastrophe that could threaten public health and the environment in Ukraine and beyond.”
According to Energoatom, the bombing had “severely damaged” an “auxiliary building” and a nitrogen and oxygen station. There is still a risk of radioactive radiation and an increased risk of fire, the operator explained in the online service Telegram.
Zelenskyy hinted that more weapons could be delivered to Ukraine. “Next week we expect news from partners regarding the aid packages. Good news!” Zelenskyy said in his video speech on Sunday. Deliveries of arms from the West continue to be the key to successful defense.
According to Zelenskyy, the toughest fighting is taking place in Donbass. The situation there remains difficult. Defending places like “Avdiivka, Pisky, Maryinka and Bakhmut requires our main effort and, unfortunately, many lives,” he said. He also renewed his accusations against Russia for shelling the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine.
A cargo ship has docked in a Ukrainian port for the first time since the end of the Russian naval blockade. “The bulk carrier Fulmar S has arrived at the port of Chornomorsk and is ready for loading,” announced the Ukrainian Ministry of Infrastructure on its Telegram channel. Ships that have left Ukrainian ports in recent days have been stuck there since the beginning of the war. The resumption of shipping traffic and the associated grain shipments from Ukraine are important for stabilizing food prices worldwide.
So far, eight ships carrying grain have left Ukrainian ports since the beginning of August. They were among dozens of freighters that had been stranded there since the war began in February because of the Russian naval blockade and the Ukrainian military’s mining of its own ports. With the arrival of the Fulmar S, the grain corridor now has an “entrance and exit,” explained Infrastructure Minister Olexander Kubrakow.
The human rights organization Amnesty International defended its controversial report on the warfare of the Ukrainian army and at the same time expressed its regret at its effects. “Amnesty International deeply regrets the pain and anger that our press release about the combat tactics of the Ukrainian military has caused,” said a statement from the organization available to the German Press Agency. Amnesty maintains the main findings of the report.
In the report published on Thursday, Amnesty International accused the Ukrainian army of entrenching itself in residential areas, thereby unnecessarily endangering civilians. “Although we fully stand by our findings, we regret the pain caused and want to clarify a few key points,” Amnesty said after the criticism that followed. The organization found Ukrainian violations of martial law at 19 different locations. However, this does not justify the Russian war crimes. Amnesty has addressed these crimes several times in recent months.
In the Donetsk region, the Ukrainian army continues to defend the last major conurbation still under its control in the Donbass. In particular, the strategically important small town of Bakhmut is under heavy pressure from Russian attacks. According to media reports, a new aid package for Ukraine is being put together in the USA. Joe Biden is expected to announce another $1 billion in arms shipments today.
Lebanon, on the other hand, is still waiting for the first ship loaded with Ukrainian grain. The freighter “Razoni” left the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Odessa last Monday.
The Russian army experiences a deadly inferno in Ukraine. According to two military researchers, Putin’s troops will have to deal with the aftermath for a long time. An example case illustrates what happened on the battlefield.
Russia is now taking a new measure to recruit more people for the army. According to a media report, male employees of state-owned companies are laid off if they can be dispensed with. However, they should not be used at the front.
The Russian company Gazprom apparently burns part of the gas that is actually supposed to go to Germany in a targeted manner at the Nord Stream 1 compressor station near Saint Petersburg.
The losses on the Russian side have not been officially communicated, but observers assume around 15,000 casualties. In order to advance his “special operation”, Putin needs many new soldiers. And they come primarily from remote, poor provinces.
