On the eve of Ukraine’s Independence Day, and as Russia’s invasion reaches the six-month mark, warnings that Moscow may consider commemorating these events by attacking key government and civilian targets have caused some concern in the war-weary country on Tuesday.
The United States reinforced this concern when its embassy in Kyiv urged American citizens still in Ukraine to leave the country immediately. The State Department issued a security alert, saying it “has information that Russia is intensifying efforts to launch strikes against civilian infrastructure and government facilities in Ukraine in the coming days.”
The US warning came after Russia claimed Ukrainian intelligence was responsible for a bombing that killed the daughter of a right-wing Russian political ideologue last weekend outside Moscow, in a car bomb. Ukraine has denied any involvement.
Hundreds of people lined up at a memorial service on Tuesday to pay their respects to Darya Duguine, 29, the daughter of Alexandre Douguine, a nationalist writer whom the media dubbed ‘Putin’s mastermind’ because of his alleged influence on Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Ms Dugin, a Russian TV commentator, died when the sports utility vehicle (SUV) she was driving exploded on Saturday evening as she was returning home from the Tradition patriotic festival. His father, a philosopher firmly behind Mr Putin’s decision to send troops to Ukraine, was widely seen as the intended target.
“High probability” of missile attacks
Accusations from Russia that Ukraine was behind Ms Dugin’s murder have heightened fears in Ukraine. The Kyiv regional government banned mass events in the capital from August 22-25 due to what it said was a “high likelihood” of Russian missile attacks on the city during the week of the Day of the independence, spokeswoman Kateryna Datsenko said.
Ukraine’s Defense Ministry’s Intelligence Division has also warned Kyiv residents to be careful, especially on Independence Day, and not ignore sirens that warn of aerial bombardments.
As he toured destroyed Russian tanks and artillery on display near the capital’s main square, Kyiv resident Vlad Mudrak said he agreed with the ban on mass gatherings.
“Our country is going through a very difficult time and we have to be careful,” 26-year-old Mudrak said on Ukrainian Flag Day on Tuesday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hinted at the threat potential over the weekend, when he said in an evening speech that “we have to be aware that this week Russia might try to do something particularly nasty , something particularly cruel”.
On Tuesday, however, Mr Zelensky emphasized defiance rather than concern when he raised the national flag at a memorial.
“The blue and yellow flag of Ukraine will once again fly where it should be. In all temporarily occupied towns and villages in Ukraine,” he said, including the Crimean peninsula which Russia annexed in 2014.
Nuclear plant
One of the potential targets fueling this sense of dread is Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, located in southeastern Ukraine, where continued bombing and fighting in the region raises fears of a nuclear disaster.
On Monday, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned of the nuclear threat in general, especially as Russia hinted at its massive nuclear arsenal early in the war.
António Guterres on Monday demanded an end to ‘nuclear chatter’, saying the world was in a ‘moment of maximum danger’ and that all countries with nuclear weapons must pledge ‘not to use them first’ “.
That didn’t stop bombings near the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant early on Tuesday. Regional Governor Valentyn Reznichenko said Russian forces fired on the towns of Marhanets and nearby Nikopol on the right bank of the Dnieper, continuing weeks of relentless nighttime shelling.
Another source of concern was the fate of Ukrainian prisoners of war. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, said she was “concerned by reports that the Russian Federation and armed groups affiliated with Donetsk are planning — possibly in the coming days — to try Ukrainian prisoners of war”. She said it is an “international court”, but that due process and a fair trial would not be guaranteed.
Amid the death and destruction, a ray of hope has emerged in Ukraine. All professional soccer was halted in February, but a new league season begins in Kyiv on Tuesday.
The Olympic Stadium will see the opening match of Shakhtar Donetsk and Metalist 1925 Kharkiv — teams from eastern cities fighting for their existence.
No fans will be allowed in the 65,000-capacity downtown stadium for the 1 p.m. (local time) kick-off and players will have to rush to the bomb shelters if the overhead sirens sound .
“The teams, the players will be proud of this event,” Shakhtar captain Taras Stepanenko said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press on Monday.