Updated on 09/08/2022 07:51
- Fighting continues in eastern Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is encouraging his countrymen.
- The situation around the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant remains tense.
- Below is an overview of what happened overnight and an outlook for the day.
As the Ukrainian army remains under pressure in the eastern Donetsk Oblast, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hinted at further weapons deliveries from partners. There was an aerial alert across the country at night, and explosions were reported in several regions.
The situation around the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant also remains tense. He was shot again on Sunday. Kyiv and Moscow blamed each other for this.
Human rights organization Amnesty International is trying to distance itself from Russian propaganda after a controversial report on the war by the Ukrainian army. Meanwhile, international stars seek their political position.
Zelenskyy announces “good news”.
Zelenskyy hinted that more weapons could be delivered to Ukraine. “Next week, we expect news from partners about the aid packages. Good news!” Zelenskyy said in his video speech on Sunday. Western arms deliveries remain the key to a successful defense.
According to Zelenskyy, the toughest fight 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 charges against Russia for bombing the Zaporizhia nuclear plant in southern Ukraine.
Escalation around Zaporizhia nuclear power plant threatens
For the second time in a few days, Moscow and Kyiv accuse each other of bombing the facility. The Ukrainian army fired a rocket at the nuclear plant late on Sunday, Russian news agency Interfax reported, citing the occupation administration in the town of Enerhodar, where the plant is located.
The Ukrainian nuclear agency Enerhoatom, on the other hand, accused the Russians of bombing the site under its control. The information provided by both sides could not initially be independently verified.
The International Atomic Energy Agency is demanding that both sides allow independent nuclear experts unimpeded access to the facility.
First freighter arrives in Ukrainian port
A freighter docked at 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 to be loaded,” the Ukrainian Ministry of Infrastructure announced on its Telegram channel.
Ships that have left Ukrainian ports in recent days have been stranded there since the beginning of the war. The resumption of maritime traffic and associated grain shipments from Ukraine are important in stabilizing food prices around the world.
So far, eight ships carrying grain have left Ukrainian ports since the beginning of August. They were among dozens of freighters that have been stranded there since the war began in February because of the Russian naval blockade and the Ukrainian military’s mining in its own ports. With the arrival of the Fulmar S, the grain corridor began to have “entry and exit”, explained the Minister of Infrastructure, Olexander Kubrakow.
Amnesty regrets uprising on Ukrainian side after controversial report
Human rights organization Amnesty International defended its controversial report on the Ukrainian army’s conduct in the war, while lamenting its impact.
“Amnesty International deeply regrets the pain and anger that our press release on the Ukrainian military’s combat tactics has caused,” the organization said in a statement 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 barricading itself in residential areas, putting civilians at risk unnecessarily. “While we are in complete agreement with our findings, we regret the pain caused and want to clarify some key points,” Amnesty said after the criticism that followed.
The organization found Ukrainian violations of martial law in 19 different locations. However, this does not justify Russian war crimes. Amnesty has addressed these crimes several times in recent months.
Roger Waters vs Jessica Chastain
Meanwhile, British musician Roger Waters, former lead singer of Pink Floyd, caused outrage in Kyiv and applause in Moscow with statements about the Russian war of aggression – and otherwise caused irritation.
Earlier in the war, he had described the Russian attack as a gangster act, but now he blamed US President Joe Biden, which pleased former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. “There are still suitable people in the West. Pink Floyd forever,” he wrote on his vkontakte page.
Meanwhile, Oscar winner Jessica Chastain has remained true to her pro-Ukrainian stance. In Kyiv, she visited a children’s hospital and later the Kiev suburb of Irpin, which became known for Russian war crimes. In the evening, like other Hollywood greats, she was received by President Zelenskyy.
This will be important on monday
In the Donetsk region, the Ukrainian army continues to defend the last major agglomeration 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 drafted in the US. 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 port of Odessa on the Black Sea last Monday. (dpa/ank)