Ukrainian armed forces say they have destroyed six ammunition depots in the south of the country occupied by Russian troops. Five ammunition depots were destroyed in the Kherson region, the “South” command of the Ukrainian army announced on Facebook on Friday. In addition, a depot was allegedly destroyed overnight in the city of Melitopol in the Zaporizhzhya region. The city’s Ukrainian mayor shared a video of violent explosions (see above).
At the beginning of the week, the Ukrainian army launched a counter-offensive in the Kherson region. The military leadership remained silent about the progress of the ground operations. There is only information about the hits of their own artillery. In addition to the five depots, two ferry connections used by the Russians were also hit over a river. The bridges are still under attack, the Ukrainian army said. The ferry and bridge connections are considered strategically important for supplying Russian troops west of the Dnipro River.
Hours of explosions in Melitopol
In the Zaporizhzhya region, also partially occupied by Russian forces, Melitopol has again become the target of Ukrainian artillery attacks. An ammunition depot near the airport was hit so hard that explosions continued for hours, the city’s Ukrainian mayor Ivan Fyodorov said on his Telegram channel.
Heavy fighting also continues in southern Ukraine in the Enerhodar district, where the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant is located, according to the British Ministry of Defense. According to British information, a residential building there came under fire. Soldiers walked around and helicopters flew over the building. It was not possible to determine who fired. The Russian-installed governor of the Zaporizhzhya region, Yevgeny Balitsky, said at least three people were killed and five injured in the Ukrainian shelling of Enerhodar. Ukrainian presidential aide Mykhailo Podoliak, on the other hand, said Russia faked the Enerhodar incident to blame Ukraine.
The Ukrainian operator of the nuclear power plant occupied by Russian forces has expressed doubts about a neutral assessment by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The Russian influence makes an independent assessment by the IAEA difficult, says operator Energoatom. In addition, the IAEA delegation is denied access to the facility’s crisis center.
Zelenskyy: “No independent journalists”
According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Russia has prevented international media representatives from accompanying nuclear experts. It has been agreed with IAEA chief Rafael Grossi that Ukrainian and international journalists may be part of the mission, Zelenskyy said in his daily video address on Thursday evening. “Independent journalists. So the world can see the truth.” Unfortunately, according to the Ukrainian president, the “occupiers” did not let any journalists in.
Inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency arrived on Thursday at the nuclear power plant, which had been under fire for weeks, to inspect it for damage. When Grossi made a statement for the nuclear power plant, only Russian media microphones could be seen on Russian state television (see video above). The IAEA chief later published his own video on Twitter.
Further withdrawal of troops demanded
He hopes that the mission will nevertheless make it possible to draw objective conclusions about the situation, Zelenskyj said. He again called for the demilitarization of the site. “This is the goal of the Ukrainian and international efforts.” Only after Russian troops have left the nuclear power plant and shelling of the power plant city of Enerhodar and other nearby areas has ceased, the nuclear plant will be able to operate safely.
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.
