According to Ukrainian sources, Russia stepped up its attacks just before Independence Day. The Marines reported frequent attacks in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine. “As Independence Day approaches, Russians are more actively trying to conquer our country,” the statement said. This was released along with a video purporting to show Marines tracking down and attacking Russian soldiers hiding in damaged buildings (see above).
“They come in small groups and try to join forces, believing that we don’t know them or don’t see them,” the 503rd Battalion of the Ukrainian Marine Corps said. So they are from August 20. In the fighting, artillery units killed or injured twelve Russian soldiers and destroyed a self-propelled howitzer. In the direction of the city of Donetsk, marines also destroyed two tanks, an armored car and a vehicle full of ammunition.
More shots at the nuclear power plant
According to the Ukrainian General Staff, Russian troops continue their attacks in the area around the largest European nuclear power plant, Zaporizhzhya, in the south of the country. The General Staff announced on Tuesday that there had been artillery fire and air strikes again. Other places in the region were also under attack from the invaders. Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that it had shot up several tens of square kilometers in the southern areas of Kherson and Mykolaiv.
Russia and Ukraine have repeatedly accused each other of shelling the nuclear power plant. The information cannot be independently verified. The nuclear power plant has been occupied by Russian troops since March but is still operated by Ukrainian engineers.
Meanwhile, Russian-led separatists in eastern Ukraine reported heavy attacks on the city of Donetsk by the Ukrainian army. For example, the administration building of separatist leader Denis Puschilin was hit, the self-proclaimed territorial defense of Donetsk announced on Tuesday. Puschilin himself was not injured, but three civilians were killed. This could not be independently verified. Also unverifiable is the claim that the Ukrainians fired on Donetsk with US-supplied HIMARS missiles.
Fear of rocket attacks on Kiev
Fearing Russian rocket attacks, authorities in the Ukrainian capital Kiev banned all major Independence Day events on Wednesday. On August 24, Ukraine traditionally celebrates independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned over the weekend that Russia could do “something particularly evil” on August 24 commemoration day. There are fears of increasing attacks on civilian infrastructure and government facilities. The US embassy in Kiev called on all US citizens to leave Ukraine.
“Answer will get stronger and stronger”
Given the fear, Zelenskyj announced decisive responses. There will be a strong response, he told reporters on Tuesday. “This response will increase, it will get stronger and stronger.” When asked how Ukraine would respond to a possible Russian missile attack on Kiev, Zelenskyy referred to the equality of all cities and regions. An attack on the capital will be reacted in the same way as the current attacks elsewhere. “For me as president and for every Ukrainian, Kiev, Chernihiv and the Donbass are all the same.” Ukrainians lived everywhere there, Zelenskyj said, also mentioning the recently hotly contested cities of Kharkiv and Zaporizhia.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
