While Ukraine will celebrate its independence from the USSR on August 24, the head of state believes that “Russia could try to do something particularly disgusting”.
Russia coulddo something particularly disgusting” and “cruelnext week in Ukraine, when the latter will celebrate its Independence Day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned on Saturday evening in his traditional address. “One of the key objectives of the enemy is to humble us“, of “sow despondency, fear and conflict“, but “we must be strong enough to resist any provocation” and “make the occupiers pay for their terror“, he added.
Ukraine celebrates its independence from the USSR in 1991 on August 24. This year, this date will also mark the six months of the Russian invasion which left tens of thousands dead and caused massive destruction in the country. In this context, the governor of the Kharkiv region (center-east), has already announced on Saturday a long curfew planned from the evening of August 23 to the morning of August 25. “Let us not allow any provocation to the enemy. Let’s be as vigilant as possible during our Independence Day“argued Governor Oleg Synegoubov on Telegram.
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After failing to take kyiv, the Russians concentrated their efforts in the industrial east and the agricultural south of Ukraine. The pro-kyiv governor of the Donetsk region (East) Pavlo Kyrylenko reported on Sunday that four civilians were killed and two others injured the day before by Russians in this territory. In the Kharkiv region (center-east), two civilians were injured in Russian bombardments during the night, for its part indicated the State service for emergency situations.
The Odessa region (south) was targeted by five Russian Kalibr-type cruise missiles launched from the Black Sea, said the spokesman for the regional administration Serguiï Bratchouk. Two were shot down by anti-aircraft defense and three others hit a silo with no casualties, he added.
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“The enemy tries to continue its offensive in the Donetsk regionand succeeded in occupying part of the Blagodatné locality in the Mykolaiv region (South), the Ukrainian army said in its morning report on Facebook. She also warned of the risk of Russian strikes from Belarus, an ally of Moscow.