Several explosions on the Crimean peninsula are worrying Russia. Several military targets are said to have been destroyed. Russia blames Ukrainian saboteurs. The inspection of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant is currently failing due to the inspectors' access route. The 174th day of the war at a glance:
Explosions in Crimea rock Russia
The Crimean Peninsula, annexed by Russia, was rudely woken up in the morning hours. Local media initially reported a fire at a substation in Dschankoy, later there were increasing indications that an ammunition depot belonging to the Russian armed forces in the village of Maiskoye had exploded and that the said substation also caught fire as a result. Russia's chief administrator Sergey Aksyonov spoke of a detonation of ammunition and explained that a security zone had been set up and people were being saved. He later reported that railroad tracks had been damaged, causing many people to transfer from trains to buses. In a statement, the Russian Defense Ministry blamed saboteurs for the explosions.
Russian air base on fire
Around noon, the Russian newspaper "Kommersant" then reported further explosions and fires from the village of Gwardejskoye in central Crimea, near the city of Simferopol. It is said to be a Russian air force base. Should it be a question of shelling by Ukraine or acts of sabotage by pro-Ukrainian sympathizers, this would be the third strike against the Russian-occupied peninsula within a short period of time.
The British see the danger of attack for Odessa almost banned
Partly due to the apparent vulnerability of the territory annexed by Russia, Britain has assessed that Russia is struggling to control the Black Sea from the sea. Patrols are limited to the waters around Crimea, the British Ministry of Defense said, citing the secret services. The Black Sea Fleet uses long-range missiles to support ground offensives, but behaves rather defensively. The restrictions on the fleet undermined Russia's strategy, they say. According to British military experts, the risk of Russian troops landing in the Ukrainian port of Odessa from the sea has largely been averted.
Russia could prepare attacks from Belarus
Elsewhere, Russia is trying to expand its military capabilities. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, the Kremlin should strengthen its military capacities in Belarus. A spokesman for the Air Force told the online portal Kyiv Independent that increased rocket attacks are therefore expected on Ukrainian Independence Day. "The enemy always uses such data to send 'congratulations' and we must be prepared for that," he said. Ukrainian Independence Day is on August 24th.
Inspection of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant is not progressing
However, the situation around the Russian-controlled Zaporizhia nuclear power plant remains tense. An inspection by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is still pending. The reason for this is the disagreement between Russia and Ukraine on how to get there. Accordingly, Russia refuses to allow the inspectors to travel from Kyiv. "Imagine what it means to drive through Kyiv - it means that you get to the nuclear power plant through the front line," the RIA news agency quoted Russian deputy head of the Department of Nuclear Safety and Arms Control Igor Vishnevetsky as saying. This is a big risk because of the "not uniformly deployed" Ukrainian armed forces. The United Nations had previously determined that Ukraine had the logistical and security capabilities to support an IAEA delegation to Zaporizhia from Kyiv.
Russia has accused acts of sabotage in the Kursk region
However, problems with nuclear power plants do not only exist on Ukrainian soil. In the Russian region of Kursk, which borders Ukraine, there are said to have been malfunctions in a Russian nuclear power plant, the Russian domestic intelligence service FSB reported. "Ukrainian sabotage groups" were blamed for this. These had damaged several power poles in the past two weeks and caused operational disruptions in the nuclear power plant. As if that were not enough, the Russian media site Baza reported that an attack on a railway line had also been carried out in the Kursk region. The line was previously used for freight traffic.
Shoigu: British and Americans are planning Ukrainian military operations
However, the leadership in the Kremlin is not only accusing Ukrainian saboteurs of targeted actions against Russia. Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu, speaking at the International Security Conference in Moscow, claimed that Ukraine's military operations were being planned by the United States and Britain. He further claimed that NATO had increased its troop deployments in Eastern and Central Europe "by a multiple".
Finland and Latvia make it difficult for Russians to enter the country
On the other hand, there is pressure on Russia from completely different countries. In Finland and Latvia, Russian citizens will have a harder time in the future. The Finnish government plans to issue fewer tourist visas to Russian citizens from September. In the future, only ten percent of the previous number of such entry permits should be issued, explained Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto. Specifically, from September fewer appointments would be made available for an application, which would lead to fewer visas for people from the neighboring country. According to the head of the Latvian government, Krisjanis Karins, temporary residence permits issued to Russian citizens should generally no longer be extended in the future. This should also apply to Belarusians. It should only be possible in very rare exceptional cases, he said in Riga.
First Ukrainian grain carrier arrived at destination
It also seems possible to transport grain from Ukrainian ports to Syria. The first ship to leave the Black Sea after the agreement between the warring parties, Turkey and the UN, arrived there today. The "Razoni" docked in the port of Tartus. In addition, the first ship chartered by the UN with grain for the African continent was able to leave the Black Sea port of Piwdennji. The "MV Brave Commander" loaded with 23,000 tons of wheat is now on its way to Djibouti. From there the grain is to be sent on to Ethiopia.
Scholz wants to reimburse citizens for VAT on the gas levy
After the EU did not comply with Finance Minister Christian Lindner's request to exempt the gas levy from VAT, Chancellor Olaf Scholz tried to save the situation and now wants to find a way to reimburse citizens for the VAT. "We will now discuss this path very quickly with the (EU) Commission," said Scholz in Berlin. With the levy, the federal government wants to relieve gas importers who, because of the restricted deliveries from Russia, have to buy gas elsewhere for a lot of money in order to fulfill their contracts.
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