On the one hand, today is Ukrainian Independence Day – at the same time the sixth “monthly anniversary” of the Russian invasion. Large-scale attacks are expected.
Six months ago, Russia launched its brutal war of aggression in Ukraine. Within hours, the structure of security policy in Europe changed: NATO activated defense plans for Eastern Europe on the same day, EU sanctions packages were approved and defense budgets were massively increased in parts of Europe. Experts assumed that Ukraine would soon be defeated – and were wrong.
No Independence Day celebrations
Meanwhile, the war between Ukraine and Russia has reached a bloody stalemate (see also graph below). Russia’s advance into the Donbass is progressing slowly, as is Ukraine’s announced counter-offensive in the southeast.
Today, Ukraine would also celebrate the 31st anniversary of its independence from what was then the Soviet Union. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy canceled all major celebrations because he feared attacks from Russia. Ukraine’s military intelligence warned civilians to be more careful: “Air alerts are a serious signal and everyone should heed it.”
According to the United States, Russia is preparing new attacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure. “We have information that Russia is planning more attacks on civilian infrastructure and government facilities in Ukraine in the coming days,” a US official said, citing information from US intelligence agencies. Fears of new attacks are also fueled by Russia’s blaming Ukraine for the deadly bombing of fascist Alexander Dugin’s daughter, Darya Dugina. Ukraine rejects this.
Who is attacking Ukrainian nuclear power plant?
According to the Ukrainian army, the Russian army is now continuing its attacks in the area around the largest European nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhya. There had been artillery fire and air raids again. 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.
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.
