Did you miss the latest events on the war in Ukraine? 20 minutes takes stock for you every evening at 7:30 p.m. Between the strong declarations, the advances on the front and the results of the battles, here are the main points of the day.
The fact of the day
Energy infrastructure, including a power station, was damaged in Ukraine this Thursday by a major Russian nighttime attack which left seven employees injured, including one seriously. This is the seventh “massive” attack on Ukrainian power plants in the past three months, according to the DTEK operatorwhich forced the imposition of frequent power cuts.
The Energy Ministry said that “a number of energy infrastructures” had been attacked by the Russian army in four regions, including Kiev. The Russian Defense Ministry on Thursday claimed responsibility for a “grouped strike” against Ukrainian energy installations, ensuring that “all” targets had been hit and that it was a “response” to the bombing of Russian infrastructure.
Russia, by increasing its attacks, has destroyed half of Ukraine’s energy capacity, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky. To compensate, the latter called this Thursday to install solar panels “in every school and every hospital as soon as possible”.
The general director of DTEK, Maxime Timchenko, warned that Ukraine risked being “faced with a serious crisis this winter” if its Western partners did not mobilize. kyiv is urging them to help rebuild its electricity network, a project which requires significant investment.
Today’s statement
“ “The supply of lethal weapons to the war zone in Ukraine would be a very serious mistake” »
The declaration was signed by Vladimir Putin this Thursday, during a trip to Vietnam, and targets South Korea. The Russian president warned Seoul that directly sending weapons to Ukraine would be a “very serious mistake” and would lead to retaliation.
“I hope that doesn’t happen.” If so, then we will have to make an appropriate decision, which will probably not please the South Korean leadership,” Vladimir Putin threatened.
The latter also assured that South Korea had “no need to worry” about the defense agreement signed the day before between North Korea and Russia because it only applies “in the event of attack against one of the signatories.
The number of the day
Four. This is the number of people killed in Russian bombings in the Donetsk region, in the east of the country, this Thursday. Local Ukrainian authorities report four other injuries, including a teenager. The fighting is particularly violent in this sector located in the east of the country. One of the victims lives in the town of Torestk, located very close to the front and subject to heavy Russian fire.
During the night from Wednesday to Thursday, Ukrainian drone attacks occurred in Russia, targeting in particular oil depots in Russia, in the Krasnodar region (south). A woman was killed.
The trend
A Russian-American national, Ksenia Karelina, has been on trial since Thursday in Yekaterinburg, Russia, for high treason, accused of giving money to a group supporting Ukraine. “According to investigators, since February 2022, Karelina took the initiative to transfer funds to a Ukrainian organization, which were then used to purchase means of tactical medicine, equipment, weapons and ammunition for the Ukrainian Armed Forces “, indicated the court.
Ksenia Karelina, 32, who lived in California, traveled to Russia earlier this year to visit family. In February 2024, the Russian security services (FSB) announced his arrest for treason, a crime punishable by 20 years in prison. According to Russian media, she made a transfer of around $50 to a pro-Ukrainian organization in the very first days of the Kremlin’s assault on Ukraine in February 2022.
Our file on the war in Ukraine
Russia has prosecuted thousands of Russians opposed to President Vladimir Putin’s offensive against Ukraine, and many of them, both anonymous and famous, have been imprisoned. In addition, Russian authorities have arrested nationals of several Western countries.
On June 26, the trial of American journalist Evan Gershkovich, who risks 20 years in prison for “espionage,” is due to begin in Yekaterinburg. He was arrested while reporting in March 2023.