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Ukraine war: Poland says missile deaths an unfortunate incident

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After a missile strike killed two people on a farm close to Poland’s western border with Ukraine, Andrzej Duda, the president of Poland, declared that there are no indications of an intentional attack.

US Vice President Joe Biden had earlier stated that it was “unlikely” that the missile had been launched from Russia.

The two employees perished as Ukraine came under attack from one of the war’s heaviest volleys of missile strikes.

The Kremlin had maintained that it was unrelated to their demise.

The missile that struck the farm in Przewodow, 6 kilometres (4 miles) from the border, was initially attributed to Russia, according to Poland.

Russian spokesperson Dmitry Peskov claimed Warsaw should have quickly made it obvious the debris was from Ukraine’s S-300, accusing Western nations of having an exaggerated response.

Both Russia and Ukraine employ the outdated Soviet surface-to-air missiles, and Kiev declared its desire to participate in the probe while also indicating that it was prepared to present proof of a “Russian trail” in the attack.

According to Paul Adams of the BBC, Ukraine’s air defences have been working hard to shoot down Russian missiles, and one of the missiles that was fired may have been thrown off course. The NATO ambassadors gathered in Brussels during the investigation to discuss how to respond to a member state becoming involved in Russia’s war.

No evidence, according to Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, suggested that the incident was the product of a planned strike or that Moscow was contemplating aggressive measures against the defensive alliance.

According to Kiev, more than 90 Russian missiles were launched against Ukraine on Tuesday. Some of the missiles struck Lviv, which is close to Ukraine’s western border with Poland, despite the Ukrainian military’s claim that 77 were shot down.

The majority of the rockets fired by Russian forces, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, were intended against the nation’s energy infrastructure.

The S-300 missile, which was built in Russia, was most likely to blame, but there was no proof that it had been fired by the Russian side, according to Polish President Duda, who said this at a press conference on Wednesday. Invoking Article 4 of the NATO charter, which mandates consultations in the event of a security danger, may not be required, according to Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.

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Kherson: Russia to withdraw troops from key Ukrainian city

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The only regional capital that Russia managed to seize after invading in February is the Ukrainian city of Kherson, and the Russian force has been told to leave. Gen. Sergei Surovikin, the commander of Russia in Ukraine, declared that the city could no longer receive supplies. Russian forces will completely leave the western bank of the River Dnipro as a result of the withdrawal.

In light of the Ukrainian counteroffensive, it represents a severe setback to Russia. According to BBC Russia Editor Steve Rosenberg, it is embarrassing for the Kremlin as well. On Russian official television, the military’s senior brass could be seen making the choice as Gen Surovikin provided updates on the situation in Kherson.

Vladimir Putin, the president, stayed away from the fake event. It seemed as though the mastermind of Russia’s futile invasion of Ukraine had delegated the declaration to his generals.

At the end of September, Mr. Putin announced that Russia had annexed Kherson as well as three other seized territories. The defence should be organised along a barrier line along the Dnipro River in these circumstances, Gen. Surovikin told the gathering.

At the beginning of the conflict, Russian forces pushed across southern Ukraine from the occupied Crimea, capturing Kherson in early March. However, Ukrainian authorities were wary of their choice to retreat over the Dnipro River. Mykhailo Podolyak, a presidential adviser, cautioned that it would be premature to take the news at its value.

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Ukraine war: Power and water supply hit across Ukraine in ‘massive’ Russian missile strikes

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Ukraine claims that after Russia launched more than 50 missiles at critical infrastructure, the country’s power and water systems were severely damaged nationwide. According to the most recent statement from the mayor, in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, 270,000 flats lack electricity, and 40% of people lack access to water.

The eastern city of Kharkiv also sustained damage to its energy facilities. There were thirteen injuries nationwide. Russia claimed that it had targeted Ukraine’s energy and military command networks.

All “specified objects” were struck by long-range, high-precision weapons, the nation’s defence ministry claimed. The military of Ukraine reported that 44 cruise missiles fired from the Caspian Sea and the Rostov region of Russia had been intercepted by its air defences.

Russia accused Ukraine of carrying out a drone attack on its Black Sea Fleet in the annexation of Crimea, prompting the strikes. The mayor of Kyiv, Vitaliy Klitschko, reported electricity and water shortages after the Russian attack damaged crucial infrastructure close to the city.

He initially said that 350,000 residences lacked electricity and that 80% of the city’s users lacked access to water; he later added that many people had been reconnected. Long lines were visible across the city as people waited impatiently to fill up on water from the pumps. The city authorities said that “no hits were reported” in Kyiv itself because to “the efficient operation of the air defence personnel.”

On Monday morning, reports of missile strikes were also made in Lviv in western Ukraine, Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia in the south-east, and the central Vinnytsia region.

There are also reports of damage to a facility at the Dnipro hydroelectric power plant in the Zaporizhzhia region.

According to Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, “hundreds of villages in seven regions” were left without electricity as a result of the damage to 18 facilities, the majority of which were energy-generating facilities, across ten different regions of Ukraine.

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Ukraine war: Russia halts grain deal after ‘massive’ Black Sea Fleet attack

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Russia has said that it will no longer take part in the international agreement, which permits Ukraine to export grain from its Black Sea ports. The accusation that Ukraine had launched a “massive” drone attack on the Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol, Crimea, came hours earlier.

The foreign minister of Ukraine claimed that Russia was “using a false pretext.” Russia also accused British troops of taking part in the attack on Saturday and the blowing up of gas pipelines last month without offering any supporting evidence. The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) responded by claiming that Russia was “peddling false accusations of an epic scale.”

Drones deployed in the attack on Saturday, according to the Russian defence ministry, targeted ships involved in the grain exchange. One vessel, according to the report, experienced minimal damage.

The Russian side is unable to guarantee the safety of civilian dry cargo ships taking part in the “Black Sea Initiative” and suspends its execution as of today for an extended period, according to a statement released by the Russian foreign ministry hours later.

The move, according to the statement, was “related to operations by the Ukrainian military forces, which were led by British specialists,” and these actions “were intended… against Russian ships that ensured the running of the abovementioned humanitarian corridor.”

However, Dmytro Kuleba, the foreign minister of Ukraine, claimed that Russia was obstructing the grain corridor under “a bogus pretext.” He claimed that Ukraine had “warned of Russian’s attempts to destroy” the agreement. The UN, which mediated the agreement with Turkey, was in contact with Moscow, according to a UN spokeswoman.

It went on to say that it was “essential that all parties refrain from any action that would threaten the Black Sea Grain Initiative,” which it described as a crucial humanitarian initiative aimed at enhancing access to food for millions of people worldwide.

The accord made it possible for Ukraine to resume grain exports to the Black Sea, which had been halted after Russia invaded the nation.

The UN secretary general personally negotiated it, and it was hailed as a significant diplomatic triumph that lessened a severe world food crisis.

But Russia has protested that the arrangement may not be renewed because its own exports are still being hampered.

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Krasovsky: Russia bans ‘burn Ukrainian kids’ TV presenter

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After Anton Krasovsky called for the burning and drowning of Ukrainian children, the Russian state channel RT suspended and denounced him. He has since apologised after his comments on television sparked outrage on social media.

Krasovsky was addressing science fiction author Sergei Lukyanenko, who claimed that in 1980, he had overheard children in western Ukraine saying, “Ukraine is invaded by Muscovites.” RT News has a strong pro-Kremlin stance.

Just drown those kids, Krasovsky said in the interview while grinning. He added that they could also be burned after being forced into shelters.

He also made light of the rape of Ukrainian grandparents by Russian soldiers.

Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of RT, referred to Krasovsky’s remarks as “wild and disgusting.”

The station has been charged with encouraging a genocide by Ukraine. Pundits and presenters who vehemently support the conflict against Ukraine and push for additional military aggression have received a lot of airtime on Russian state television. They frequently reject proof of Russian atrocities by asserting that it is “fabricated” Ukrainian evidence, following the Kremlin’s stance.

The investigation into Krasovsky’s remarks is currently being conducted by Russia’s Investigative Committee, which deals with major offences; however, it is not yet known which laws, if any, he may have broken.

“Well, it happens: you’re on air, you get carried away, and you can’t stop,” Krasovsky said in his Monday apology. “I’m terribly humiliated,” he remarked.

When he advocated LGBT rights and denounced Russia’s statute prohibiting gay awareness campaigns that target kids, Krasovsky rose to fame on a global scale. Supporters of the measure assert that it is a response to “homosexual propaganda.”

Krasovsky has been in charge of RT’s Russian-language programming for the previous two years. Because of his ardent support for President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, he is subject to EU sanctions.

Mikhail Khodorkovsky, a well-known anti-Kremlin activist in London, voiced contempt for RT’s position. As he tweeted: “Margarita Simonyan refuses to work with Anton Krasovsky, who advocates for the murder of Ukrainian children. Margarita Simonyan, however, is unwilling to work with Putin since he murders Ukrainian children “.

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Ukraine war: Russia dive-bombs Kyiv with ‘kamikaze’ drones

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Russia has launched a series of attacks against Ukraine, using what appear to be “kamikaze” drones produced in Iran to dive-bomb the city of Kyiv.  The administration claims that hundreds of towns and villages in the Kyiv, Dnipro, and Sumy regions had their energy shut off.

At least eight individuals were slain, including four each in Sumy and Kyiv. As Iran continues to deny providing drones to the Russian military, calls for sanctions against the country have grown.

Russian missiles struck the Ukrainian capital a week ago during rush hour as part of widespread attacks that claimed 19 lives. 28 drones targeted the capital in the most recent attack, which began at around 6:00 (03:30 GMT), but only five of them struck their intended targets, according to Vitaliy Klitschko, the mayor.

Gunfire rattled around the city as anti-aircraft batteries urgently attempted to shoot them down. One interception looked to be captured on video posted on social media.

Rescuers in the Shevchenkivskyi neighbourhood looked for survivors among the rubble of an apartment building that partially collapsed during one attack. As numerous firefighters and emergency personnel worked at the site, the street was blocked off. A pregnant woman was one of the four individuals slain in the area.

The offices of Ukraine’s energy business were also damaged; they were located across the street from the demolished structure. It’s likely that the facility was the strike’s intended target. The attacks were referred to as a “genocide of the Ukrainian people” by Mayor Klitschko, who added that “The Russians demand a Ukraine without Ukrainians.”

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Belarus, Ukraine, Russia activists win Nobel Peace Prize

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The Nobel Peace Prize has been given to a jailed activist from Belarus as well as two organisations from Russia and Ukraine for promoting democracy and human rights. As a rebuke to two authoritarian governments, the choice to honour Ales Bialiatsky, Russia’s Memorial, and the Ukrainian Center for Civil Liberties.

In December of last year, Russia forcibly closed Memorial in advance of Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine. Alexander Lukashenko protests led to the imprisonment of Bialiatsky. The CCL of Ukraine has kept tabs on political repression and atrocities committed in regions of the nation that Russia has invaded or annexed.

All three had made “an excellent effort to expose war crimes, human rights abuses, and the misuse of power,” according to Berit Reiss-Andersen, head of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, who spoke to reporters.

She responded that the Nobel prize was always given “for something and to somebody and not against anyone” when asked if the committee was making a statement to Russia’s president on the occasion of his 70th birthday.

Belarus’s long-time ruler is a close ally of President Putin. After a re-election in 2020 that was widely condemned as rigged, he brutally cracked down on protesters and then allowed Russian forces to use his country as a launchpad in its war against Ukraine.

Ales Bialiatsky, 60, established the civil rights organisation Viasna, which is Belarusian for spring, in 1996, two years after Mr. Lukashenko took office. He was first imprisoned in 2011, and last year, he was again incarcerated without being given a reason. He is one of the 1,348 individuals that Viasna claims are being imprisoned as political prisoners in Belarus at the moment.

Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, an exiled opposition activist, hailed the Nobel committee for “recognising all Belarusians struggling for freedom and democracy,” and Natallia Pinchuk, Bialiatsky’s wife, said she was “overwhelmed with emotion.”

A spokesman for the Minsk foreign ministry claimed that Alfred Nobel was “turning in his grave” as a result of the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Bialiatsky.

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Ukraine war: Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant chief detained by Russians – Kyiv

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The head of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power facility has been taken prisoner by Russian forces, according to Enerhoatom, the country’s national nuclear regulator.

It claims that at around 16:00 local time (13:00 GMT) on Friday, Ihor Murashov was detained as his automobile was travelling from the facility to the nearby town of Enerhodar.

According to the president of Enerhoatom, he was afterwards blindfolded and transferred to a detention facility in Enerhodar. Russia has made no remarks.

In March, Moscow took control of the largest nuclear power facility in Europe and retained its Ukrainian employees. In the midst of widespread worries that this could result in a significant radiation disaster in Europe, both Ukraine and Russia accuse one another of repeatedly shelling the plant.

President of Enerhoatom Petro Kotin stated that Mr. Murashov “bears major and exclusive responsibility for the nuclear and radiation safety” of the nuclear facility in a statement that was made public on Saturday.

The largest nuclear power plant in Europe and Ukraine’s operational safety, he claimed, are both at risk due to Friday’s imprisonment.

Furthermore, he informed the BBC that the arrest took place at the same time as Russian President Vladimir Putin declared the annexation of four regions of Ukraine, including Zaporizhzhia.

According to Mr. Kontin, Rosatom representatives paid a visit to the plant “only two days ago.” They said the power plant would be transferred from Ukrainian control to Rosatom’s control in line with the annexation of the region.

In the occupied portion of the southern Zaporizhzhia area of Ukraine, close to Enerhodar, is where the six-reactor Zaporizhzhia nuclear facility is situated.

According to Ukraine, Russian troops are utilising the station as a military base and are effectively holding the staff at gunpoint. Moscow refutes the assertion.

Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, announced the annexation of the Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Donetsk, and Luhansk regions on Friday. Ukraine and the West strongly denounced this action. None of the four eastern and southern areas of Ukraine are entirely under Moscow’s influence.

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Zelensky calls for ‘just punishment’ for Russia

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During his address to the UN General Assembly in New York, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia must receive “due retribution” for its invasion of Ukraine. The Ukrainian president demanded the establishment of a unique war tribunal and described alleged war crimes committed by Russia in a pre-recorded video.

Additionally, he outlined a “formula” that included increasing military assistance and criticising Russia internationally. Vladimir Putin of Russia had earlier activated 300,000 reservists. Rare protests were sparked by the action in dozens of Russian cities, and Mr. Zelensky claimed that the partial mobilisation proved his adversary was not sincere in his desire for peace. Observational group OVD-Info said that 1,315 Russians had been detained.

According to the Kremlin, only individuals with significant talents and combat experience who have completed their military service will be called up. However, sources claim that some of those detained during Moscow protests were also informed they would need to sign up.

The head of Ukraine claimed that setting up a special court will aid in holding Moscow accountable for annexing land and killing thousands of people. Many of the participants in the session gave him a standing ovation after his speech on Wednesday.

Despite Russia’s determination to intensify its military campaign, the two sides participated in the largest prisoner exchange since the war’s inception.

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Ukraine war: Grave sites prompt calls for tribunal over Russian killings

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In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the European Union leadership has called for an international tribunal. The appeal came from the Czech Republic, which is presently in charge of rotating the bloc’s presidency. It was made in response to the discovery of hundreds of graves in Izyum, a town that Ukrainian forces had just just recaptured.

It is said that many of them are civilians, including women and children. Foreign Minister of the Czech Republic Jan Lipavsky stated, “We support the prosecution of all war criminals.” In Izyum, where 59 remains have already been exhumed and more are anticipated from graves in a forest on the outskirts of the city, Ukraine claims it believes war crimes have been committed.

“In the 21st Century, such attacks against the civilian population are unthinkable and abhorrent,” Mr Lipavsky said.

“We must not overlook it. We stand for the punishment of all war criminals,” he said.

“I call for the speedy establishment of a special international tribunal that will prosecute the crime of aggression.”

Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, announced in his weekly address on Saturday night that additional proof of torture against those interred in Izyum, in the Kharkiv region, had been uncovered.

More than ten torture chambers have already been discovered in various cities and towns throughout the Kharkiv region’s freed territory, according to Mr. Zelensky.

The Russians would be required to respond, he warned, “on the battlefield and in courtrooms.”

President of the EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen stated on Thursday that she wanted Mr. Putin to testify before the International Criminal Court over war crimes committed in Ukraine.

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