Status: 09/13/2022 07:10 a.m
According to President Selenskyj, Ukraine has recaptured 6,000 square kilometers of previously Russian-occupied areas in its counter-offensive since the beginning of September. He also calls for faster delivery of anti-aircraft weapons.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has named the magnitude of the territories recaptured by Ukraine from Russia. In the east and south of the country, more than 6,000 square kilometers have been liberated from the Russian occupiers since the beginning of September, he said in his evening video address.
According to Ukrainian sources, landmines and other unexploded weapons are now being defused in these areas, and a search is being carried out for Russian soldiers who may have remained there. The Ukrainian military had previously announced that it had liberated more than 20 towns within 24 hours as part of the ongoing major Ukrainian offensive.
Britain’s Defense Ministry said on Monday that Ukraine had recaptured an area at least twice the size of Greater London in the past few days. According to a report by the Russian news agency Tass, residents of a Russian village near the border were evacuated after one person was killed in Ukrainian shelling.
conflicting parties as a source
Information on the course of the war, shelling and casualties provided by official bodies of the Russian and Ukrainian conflict parties cannot be directly checked by an independent body in the current situation.
Request for faster delivery of anti-aircraft weapons
Despite the Ukrainian gains in territory, the Russian war of aggression also continues. After Russian missile hits on the power supply in Ukraine, Zelenskyy called for the faster delivery of anti-aircraft weapons. Russian rocket hits on a power plant near Kharkiv on Sunday evening large parts of the power grid in eastern Ukraine temporarily paralyzed.
“Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians found themselves in the dark – without electricity. Houses, hospitals, schools, municipal infrastructure,” Zelenskyy said. “Russian missiles hit precisely those objects that have absolutely nothing to do with the infrastructure of our country’s armed forces.” He interpreted the shelling as revenge for the advance of the Ukrainian army in the Kharkiv region.
The aid of international partners to Ukraine must be increased, said in his video address. “Together we can overcome Russian terror.” Germany has promised Ukraine the state-of-the-art Iris-T air defense system. Ukraine hopes for quick delivery. According to Kiev reports, the first unit will be sent by the end of the year.
Zaporizhia NPP better supplied with electricity again
The Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, which was occupied by Russian troops, has now been reconnected to two reserve power lines. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced on Monday evening that one line could supply the cooling system for the reactors that were shut down, while the second was in reserve. The sixth and last reactor has been shut down and now requires less electricity for cooling.
Nevertheless, the situation at Europe’s largest nuclear power plant in the middle of the combat zone remains precarious, warned IAEA boss Rafael Grossi. The four main lines have been destroyed and the power plant is not delivering any electricity. “A nuclear protection and safety zone is urgently needed,” he warned. He had conducted the first consultations with all those involved. There are signs “that they are interested in this agreement,” said Grossi.
Technical details are currently being checked. This includes the radius around the nuclear facility to which the agreement would apply. Ukraine and Russia asked many questions. “We’re trying to keep it simple, we’re trying to keep it practical because we need it as soon as possible.”
The facility was captured by Russia early in the Russian War in Ukraine. But it is run by Ukrainian employees. The nuclear facility had been cut off from the outside world due to shelling from the power supply. It was reconnected to the Ukrainian power grid over the weekend. This allowed engineers to shut down the last remaining operational reactor there to prevent a nuclear catastrophe. The IAEA has inspected the damage to the power plant and wants to set up a safety zone around the plant if possible.