More drone and missile attacks on Ukraine took place in May than in any month since the war began.
(Photo: IMAGO/ZUMA Wire)
Kyiv, Moscow After the drone strikes in Moscow, Russia has threatened Ukraine with retaliatory strikes. In addition to Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin, who accused Kiev of terror and announced a reaction, his close confidante Ramzan Kadyrov swore revenge.
The leader of the Russian republic of Chechnya in the North Caucasus called for the imposition of martial law in Russia in order to crack down on Ukraine. Ukraine, which has been repeatedly attacked by Russia, has denied direct responsibility for the attacks on Moscow.
“We will soon show in the zone of military special operations what revenge is in the full sense of the word,” Kadyrov wrote in his blog on the Telegram news channel. Once again he threatened Western Europe with Russian attacks, saying that Russia could knock on the doors of Germany or Poland, for example.
While Moscow has only recently been the scene of such drone attacks, regions close to the Ukraine border in particular have been reporting attacks with artillery and drones from the neighboring country for a long time. The governor of the Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkiv, reported renewed shelling of the region from the Ukrainian side on Tuesday evening. There is one dead and one injured.
In the Russian capital, air defense shot down several drones on Tuesday morning. According to the authorities, several houses were damaged and two people injured. Where the drones came from remained unclear.
A drone attack over the Kremlin was repelled in early May. Kremlin chief Putin praised the work of the air defense, but also said that it needs to be tighter and better.
White House: Do not support attacks inside Russia
After the drone strikes on Moscow, the US government reiterated that it does not support attacks within Russia. “We have made clear statements not only publicly but also privately to the Ukrainians, but we do not want to engage in hypotheses,” said White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre in Washington.
Information is currently being collected to find out exactly what happened. At the same time, she made it clear: “We do not support attacks within Russia. Point.”
On the other hand, according to British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, Ukraine has the right to attack targets on Russian territory for the purpose of self-defense. “Legitimate military targets outside its own borders are part of Ukraine’s right to self-defense,” Cleverly said at a press conference with his Estonian counterpart Margus Tsahkna in the Estonian capital Tallinn on Tuesday. Cleverly declined to comment on the drones that fell on Moscow.
Selenskyj praises Chancellor Scholz’s determination
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) for his “determination” in supporting his country under attack from Russia. In a telephone call on Tuesday, he thanked Scholz for the air defense systems supplied by Germany, which had saved the lives of Ukrainians, Zelenskyj said in his evening video message. “And I would like to thank Olaf, Mr. Chancellor, for his personal determination, which in many ways is becoming the determinant of the whole of Europe.”
Long after the beginning of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Germany was criticized for hesitant aid. The criticism became quieter when Berlin delivered armaments such as heavy battle tanks and anti-aircraft systems. Selenskyj estimated Germany’s total military aid for his country at three billion euros.
This is how the Handelsblatt reports on the Ukraine war:
The Ukrainian President made it clear that an effective anti-aircraft defense system is one of the main goals of his defense policy. “Russian terror must be defeated every day and night, in the skies of every Ukrainian city and village,” he said.
An effective air defense system is one of the main goals of his defense policy, said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
(Photo: IMAGO/Ukrinform)
Ukraine is experiencing more drone and missile attacks this May than it has in a month since the war began. Because there are always complaints about the lack of shelters, the head of state called on the authorities to act: “Shelters must be accessible in all cities.” There should also be more.
IAEA chief formulates safety rules for nuclear power plants
Ukraine remains concerned about its Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, which is occupied by Russian troops. The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, named guidelines for protecting Europe’s largest nuclear power plant. “There must be no attack of any kind from or against the facility, particularly against the reactors, spent fuel storage facilities, other critical infrastructure or personnel,” Grossi told the UN Security Council in New York on Tuesday.
He called on Russia and Ukraine to follow the rules so that no radioactive material is released. In addition, Zaporizhia should not be used as a military base or as a storage facility for weapons such as tanks or artillery that could be deployed from the facility.
The external power supply must also be guaranteed, and the plant must be protected against acts of sabotage. All violations would be made public by him, Grossi continued.
“There must be no attack of any kind from or against the plant,” said the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
(Photo: dpa)
The largest nuclear power plant in Europe in the Zaporizhia region came under Russian control in the course of the Russian invasion at the beginning of March 2022. Artillery duels around the power plant site raised concerns about a nuclear catastrophe last summer.
The six blocks with a total net output of 5700 megawatts have therefore been shut down and are only being cooled. Observers assume that the liberation of the power plant is one of the main goals of the major Ukrainian offensive.
What will be important on Wednesday
In the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, the head of the Russian private army Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, claims to be continuing the withdrawal of his troops. This Thursday he wants to hand over control of the city, which has been conquered but not given up by Ukraine, to the regular Russian army.
The NATO foreign ministers are also meeting in Oslo. The topic will be the war in Ukraine, the strengthening of the eastern flank and the forthcoming summit on July 11th and 12th in Lithuania.
More: Current news on the development of the Ukraine war can be found in our news blog