Russian invasion - War against Ukraine: this is the situation
At a Russian attack on the Ukrainian city of Velyka Nova Kahovka in the Zaporizhia region, at least seven people, including children, were killed according to official reports on Saturday. Thirty-one other people were injured in the missile attack, the civil defense reported in the early hours of Sunday. "Unfortunately, the number of casualties may still increase," wrote President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the platform X.
According to the regional military administrator Ivan Fedorov, an unspecified "critical infrastructure object" and several residential houses were damaged in the attack. Several burning buildings could be seen in a video spread by him in a residential area.
The Russian Defense Ministry, however, spoke of an attack on a military target. At Zaporizhia, a railway station with ballistic Iskander missiles was attacked, according to the Interfax agency from the statement of the department in Moscow. A train loaded with military cargo was hit, claimed the Russian military leadership. The statements could not be independently verified.
Since Friday, the industrial city of Dnipro had been the target of Russian rocket attacks. At least one person was killed and twelve others were injured. "Our cities and communes are suffering daily from these Russian attacks," complained Zelenskyy. As a countermeasure, "we are destroying the terrorists where they stand, eliminating Russian missile launchers, striking them with long-range weapons, and increasing the number of modern air defense systems in Ukraine," he declared.
Ukraine has denied accusations from Minsk regarding provocations along the border. The Ukraine does not pose a threat, but is rather strengthening its defensive lines along the border, Grenzschutz-Sprecher Andrij Demchyshyn stated in Kyiv on Saturday. There are no provocations. "They are probably confused," he was quoted as saying by the UNIAN agency.
Zelenskyy celebrates release of Crimean Tatar leader
Zelenskyy celebrated the return of Ukrainians from Russian captivity on Saturday. "Ten civilians, in addition, 90 soldiers have been released from captivity this week," he said in a video statement. A total of 3310 people have returned from Russian captivity to Ukraine. "And we must find and bring back every single one of them who is in captivity or deported - adults and children, soldiers and civilians."
Ten Ukrainian civilians were released from Russian captivity on Friday. Among them was Nariman Jeljal, a leader of the Crimean Tatars. Zelenskyy met Jeljal, whom he had last met in 2021, for a brief conversation on Saturday.
Jeljal was arrested shortly after the meeting in 2021, that is, before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, on the Russian-annexed Crimea and later sentenced to 17 years in prison. He was accused of blowing up a gas pipeline.
Ukraine rejects accusations from Minsk regarding provocations along the border. The Ukraine does not pose a threat, but is rather strengthening its defensive lines along the border, border guard spokesman Andriy Demchyshyn stated in Kyiv on Saturday. There are no provocations. "They are probably confused," he was quoted as saying by the UNIAN agency.
The real threat is coming from Belarus, where there are enough Russian troops stationed according to Andrij Kowalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation in the National Security Council. Instead, the Russian military is trying to tie down Ukrainian forces at the Belarus-Ukraine border.
The border troops of the authoritarian-led Ex-Soviet Republic of Belarus (formerly known as White Russia) have, according to their own statements, deployed additional units at the border with Ukraine. The measure was justified with alleged spy and sabotage preparations by Ukraine. Belarus is Russia's closest ally.
- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed concern about the increasing number of casualties in the Zaporizhzhya region, specifically in the city of Velyka Nova Kahovka, following a Russian attack on Sunday.
- The Russian Defense Ministry claimed responsibility for attacking a military target in Zaporizhia, specifically a railway station with ballistic Iskander missiles, on Sunday, resulting in damage to a train loaded with military cargo.
- The children of Velyka Nova Kahovka, along with several other civilians, were among the casualties in the Russian attack on the city's critical infrastructure, as reported by local authorities.
- In response to the escalating conflicts along the border, Ukraine's border guard spokesman Andriy Demchyshyn denied accusations of provocations from Minsk and strengthened Ukraine's defensive lines.
- Belarus, a close ally of Russia, deployed additional border units at the Belarus-Ukraine border, citing allegations of spy and sabotage preparations by Ukraine, according to Belarusian officials.
- Crimean Tatar leader Nariman Jeljal, who was arrested on the Russian-annexed Crimea and later sentenced to 17 years in prison in 2021, was released from Russian captivity on Friday and met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday.
- The military in Moscow has been accused of tying down Ukrainian forces at the Belarus-Ukraine border while maintaining a large presence of troops in Belarus, according to Ukraine's head of the Center for Countering Disinformation, Andrij Kowalenko.
