Russia couldto do something particularly nasty“and”cruelNext week in Ukraine, when the latter will celebrate its Independence Day, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky warned in his traditional address on Saturday evening. “One of the main goals of the enemy is to humble us“, fromsow despair, fear and conflict“but”we must be strong enough to withstand any provocation“and”make the occupiers pay for their horror“, he added.
Mykhailo Podoliak, adviser to the president, estimated that Russia could intensify the bombing of Ukrainian cities on August 23 and 24. “Russia is an archaic state that connects its actions with certain dates, it is a kind of obsession. They hate us and will try to increase (…) the number of bombings of our cities, including Kiev, with cruise missiles.According to “Interfax-Ukraine” agency, he said.
Ukraine celebrates its independence from the USSR in 1991. on August 24. This year, the day will also mark six months since the Russian invasion, which killed tens of thousands of people and caused massive destruction in this country. In this context, the Kyiv authorities announced on Sunday the ban on all public gatherings in the capital from August 22 to 25. In turn, the governor of Kharkiv region (center-east) announced a long curfew on Saturday, which is planned from the evening of August 23 to the morning of August 25. “Let’s be as vigilant as possible on our Independence Day“Governor Oleg Sinegubov argued in Telegram.
After failing to capture Kiev, the Russians concentrated their forces in Ukraine’s industrial east and agricultural south. Pavlo Kirilenko, a supporter of Kiev in the Donetsk region (East), said on Sunday that four civilians were killed by the Russians in this area the previous day, and two more were wounded. A woman and two other civilians were killed as a result of Russian bombings in Kharkiv region (center-east) on Saturday evening, the regional prosecutor’s office reported on Sunday.
Odesa region (south) was targeted by Russian “Calibre” type cruise missiles launched from the Black Sea, the spokesman of the regional administration, Sergui Bratchuk, said. He added that two were shot down by anti-aircraft defenses and three others hit the silo without casualties.
“The enemy is trying to continue the offensive in the Donetsk regionThe Ukrainian army said in its Facebook message this morning that it managed to capture part of the settlement of Blagodatne in Mykolaiv region (South). He also warned of the risk of Russian strikes by Moscow’s ally Belarus.
Source: Le Figaro
