At a time of high tensions between Poland and Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky made a brief stopover in Poland on Saturday afternoon to thank and decorate two Polish volunteers.
Ukrainian forces claimed, Saturday September 30, to have killed or injured “high commanders” of the Russian navy, during its strike the day before against the headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol, in annexed Crimea. At the same time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, returning from his North American tour, made a brief stopover in Poland, at a time of tensions between kyiv and Warsaw. Franceinfo looks back at the highlights of the day.
An attack on the HQ of the Russian fleet in Crimea
The strike against the headquarters of the Russian fleet in Crimea “results in dozens of deaths and injuries among the occupiers, including senior commanders of the fleet”, the kyiv army said on Saturday. She assured that the attack had taken place “during a meeting of Russian naval leaders”. “Details of the attack will be revealed as soon as possible,” added the Ukrainian forces.
Russia, for its part, declared that one of its soldiers was missing after the attack. The Ukrainian region of Crimea, annexed by Moscow in 2014, and the city of Sevastopol, where the targeted naval headquarters is located, are at the heart of the Russian military system for its invasion of Ukraine.
A brief visit to Poland for Volodymyr Zelensky
The Ukrainian leader made a brief, unexpected stopover on Saturday afternoon in Poland, to thank and decorate two Polish volunteers. Returning from the United States and Canada, Volodymyr Zelensky stopped in the city of Lublin, in eastern Poland. “On the way to Ukraine, I had the honor to mark in Lublin the efforts of Polish citizens, volunteers, caring hearts”announced the Ukrainian leader on his X account (formerly Twitter).
According to Polish media, Volodymyr Zelensky did not meet any Polish officials there. Poland last week extended its embargo on Ukrainian grain to protect, it says, the interests of its farmers. In response, Ukraine lodged a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO) against Poland, Slovakia and Hungary, which also maintained their restrictions on Ukrainian cereals, although lifted by Brussels. On Tuesday, the Ukrainian president denounced to the UN the fact that “some countries feign solidarity (with Ukraine) by indirectly supporting Russia”. These comments angered Warsaw, which then announced that it would no longer deliver new weapons to kyiv.
For Moscow, Westerners are “fighting directly” Russia in Ukraine
The Westerners “fight directly” Moscow in Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused on Saturday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
“You can call it whatever you want but they are fighting us, they are fighting us directly. We call it hybrid war, but that doesn’t change the reality.”he added, referring to financial aid, armaments and “mercenaries” from Western countries.