Updated on 08/30/2022 at 11:39 p.m
- While there have reportedly been two more explosions at the site of the Zaporizhia NPP, Ukraine is trying to regain ground in the Kherson region.
- Moscow says the attack failed.
- A German military expert doubts the supposed major offensive.
the Ukraine can with the training of their soldiers also by the EU calculate. Germany supports such a proposal, said State Secretary Siemtje Möller on Tuesday at a meeting of defense ministers in Prague. It is unclear whether Ukraine’s counter-offensive in the strategically important Cherson region will be successful. According to the Russian occupation administration, the site of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant came under fire again on Tuesday. As a preventive measure for the people in the region around the nuclear power plant, the EU states have announced a donation of five million potassium iodide tablets to Ukraine.
From Möller’s point of view, the training of Ukrainian armed forces by the EU is a logical step. “It is clear that there is a need for greater coordination of training measures, but also of support in general.” Germany take responsibility for the issue. if Russia prepare for a long-term war, then you have to. According to Möller, how EU participation in the training should be structured will now be the subject of discussions. The SPD politician named air defense and artillery as relevant topics.
German military expert: Ukrainian major offensive a “feint”
After this Start of a major Ukrainian offensive in the south of the country the Ukrainian military is reluctant to report on the situation. The spokeswoman for the southern command of the Ukrainian army, Nataliya Humenyuk, spoke on Tuesday of “position battles” in the Mykolaiv and Kherson regions. It is still too early to talk about possible recaptured places. “Fighting is going on right now and this requires an information silence.”
The day before, Humenyuk had announced the launch of a long-awaited offensive on the right bank of the Dnipro River. The Russian army confirmed advances by Ukrainian troops, but spoke of successful defense and high Ukrainian losses.
Federal government for higher visa hurdles for Russians
But there are doubts about the major offensive mentioned by Kyiv. The military expert and retired Colonel Ralph Thiele described it as a feint. “If you go on an offensive, you don’t talk about it, you try to surprise your opponent,” Thiele told n-tv. He sees it more as an “information-tactical maneuver” to keep the soldiers motivated to keep asking for help from the West and to relieve the embattled Donbass by relocating the Russian armed forces to the south.
Military expert Carlo Masala from the University of the German Armed Forces pointed out the strategic importance of Cherson near Crimea, which was annexed by Russia. “If they (the Ukrainians) have control over Kherson, they also have control over the fresh water supply to Crimea. So that means a pressure tool to put even more pressure on the Russians in Crimea as well.” Russia would also have problems concealing such a defeat, Masala said in an interview with Bayern 2-radioWelt on Tuesday.
Two explosions near a nuclear power plant storage building
the federal government has advocated the complete suspension of the European visa agreement with Moscow pronounced, which makes it easier for Russians to enter the EU. Such an approach could be a “quite good bridge” in the internal EU dispute over possible entry restrictions, said Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) on Tuesday at the sidelines of the cabinet meeting at Schloss Meseberg. The approach is pretty much in the middle between those who no longer want to issue visas to Russians and those who want to continue as before. Such a step could significantly increase the costs and effort for applicants and allow EU states to restrict the issuance of visas for the Schengen area.
Also read: All current information on the war in Ukraine in the live ticker
The Russian military administration of the city of Enerhodar reported two explosions near a spent fuel storage building of the Zaporizhia NPP. The administration blamed Ukraine for the attack. Accordingly, their goal should be to disrupt the mission of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The experts are to inspect the Russian-occupied nuclear power plant in the south-east of the country. The IAEA mission, led by IAEA chief Rafael Grossi, is expected to be on site later this week.
Newspaper: Ukraine successfully uses dummies
The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj first received the IAEA experts on Tuesday in Kyiv. “The arrival of the IAEA mission in Ukraine is certainly one of the most important security issues of Ukraine and the world today,” he said, according to a video shown on public television. The 14 experts, led by IAEA chief Rafael Grossi, are to travel across the front line to the nuclear power plant in the Russian-controlled area. Your task is to check the condition of the power plant. After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, the nuclear power plant came under the control of the Russian army in early March.
That According to the Washington Post, the Ukrainian military is also using dummy weapons in defensive combat to fool the attackers. It is about wooden replicas of modern US missile systems, the newspaper wrote on Tuesday, citing unnamed high-ranking officials from the United States and Ukraine. In this way, the Russian armed forces were tricked into wasting expensive Kalibr cruise missiles on harmless replicas. In view of the success, the production of the replicas has been expanded.
US media: Iran delivers first drones to Russia
According to a US media report, Iran has sent the first drones to Russia for use in Ukraine. As the “Washington Post” reported, citing intelligence sources, at least two different types of unmanned aircraft were delivered on August 19. These could be used to fire on radar systems, artillery and other military objects. However, the Russian armed forces had to contend with numerous malfunctions during the first tests.
EU countries have announced a donation of five million potassium iodide tablets to Ukraine. “Germany would be responsible for delivering the tablets to Ukraine,” said a spokesman for the European Commission on Tuesday. They are intended to serve as a preventive measure to protect people in the vicinity of the Zaporizhia NPP. The tablets are to be used in the event that radioactivity escapes from the nuclear power plant. This is to prevent inhaled or swallowed radioactive iodine from settling in the thyroid gland. (mt/dpa)
The Nord Stream pipelines arrive in the immediate vicinity, and their gas network access could now also be used for LNG terminals.