The six months of conflict in Ukraine coincided with the anniversary of the country’s independence in 1991. Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife paid tribute to fallen Ukrainian soldiers by observing a minute of silence and laying yellow and blue bouquets in front of a memorial in the center of kyiv. But the evening was marked by a Russian strike that killed at least 22 people in Chaplyne station, located atin the center of the country, announced the Ukrainian leader. Franceinfo returns to the highlights of Wednesday August 24 on the front of the war in Ukraine.
At least 22 dead after Russian attack, announces kyiv
kyiv feared a Russian attack six months after the start of the conflict and on this day of Ukrainian independence. A railway station located in the Dnipro region, in Chaplyne, in the center of the country, was struck. At the moment, there are 22 dead, including five people who burned in a car” and an 11-year-old boy, killed in the explosion of his house, said the Ukrainian president. “Four passenger carriages are on fire”he specified. “Search and rescue operations will continue, added the leader, we’re going to make the abusers pay for everything they’ve done. And we will drive them out of our land.”
Volodymyr Zelensky puts pressure on Russia
Addressing the UN Security Council meeting on the day marking the sixth month of conflict in Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video message that “I“Russia must unconditionally stop its nuclear blackmail and simply withdraw from the plant” from Zaporizhia. He also assured that his country will fight “until the end” without “no concessions or compromises” with Russia. “We have been holding on for six months. It’s hard but we have clenched our fists and we are fighting for our destiny”launched the Ukrainian head of state.
An “absurd” war according to the UN
Antonio Guterres, thehe UN Secretary General denounced before the Security Council the war “absurd” in Ukraine, six months day after the start of the conflict, a day that represents “a sad and tragic milestone”. He also pointed “the consequences of this absurd war, far beyond Ukraine”. He also repeated “his deep concern” regarding military activities around the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant. “Any further escalation of the situation could lead to self-destruction”dreaded the secretary.
New military aid from the United States
US President Joe Biden announced Wednesday, August 24, new military aid to Ukraine of nearly three billion dollars as the country, which has been fighting the Russian invasion for six months, marks its independence day. “The United States of America is committed to supporting the people of Ukraine as they continue the struggle to defend their sovereignty. As part of that commitment, I am proud to announce our largest tranche of security assistance to this day: approximately $2.98 billion worth of weapons and equipment”Joe Biden said in a statement.
kyiv accuses Russia of illegal adoptions of Ukrainian children
“Russia continues to kidnap children from Ukrainian territory and arrange for their illegal adoption by Russian citizens”the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “More than 1,000 children from Mariupol were illegally given to foreigners in Tyumen, Irkutsk, Kemerovo and the Altai district”quotes the ministry, saying that more than 300 Ukrainian children are also kept in “specialized establishments” of the Krasnodar region.