Before the next Russian setback in southern Ukraine, President Putin escalates further: NATO rejects warnings from the Kremlin about alleged nuclear plans in Kiev as false reports. While the Moscow leadership is on the phone and alerting its own troops, the Ukrainian army is reporting territorial gains in Cherson and in the north-east. The 243rd day of the war at a glance.
Radioactive explosive device: Moscow alerts troops
Russia has stepped up its warning of Ukraine using a so-called dirty bomb. Russian forces in Ukraine were preparing to respond to the detonation of an explosive device laced with radioactive material, the head of Russia's nuclear, biological and chemical protection forces, Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov said in the evening. Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu had already said in talks with the defense ministers of several NATO countries over the weekend that Ukraine could resort to this measure, which the government in Kyiv rejected.
In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of France, Great Britain and the USA described the Russian accusation as a false claim. Russia wants to use them as a pretext for a further escalation of the Ukraine war. British Chief of Staff Tony Radakin made a similar statement after discussing the issue with his Russian colleague Valery Gerasimov. According to Russian news agencies, Gerasimov also contacted the United States on this issue.
NATO warns of pretext for escalation
NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg also warned Russia against using "false claims" about a dirty bomb as a pretext for escalation. "We remain steadfast in our support for Ukraine," Stoltenberg wrote on Twitter. Observers assume that Russia is primarily interested in undermining Western support for Ukraine with ever new threat scenarios.
Previous Russian claims that Ukraine might be using biological weapons had raised concerns in the West that Moscow might commit acts under a false identity and then blame Kyiv. "When Russia calls and says that Ukraine is allegedly preparing something, it means only one thing: Russia has already prepared everything," said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Russia, for its part, rejected this: the allegation was "not serious entertainment," the Interfax news agency quoted Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as saying.
Lavrov presents manipulated evidence
The Russian Foreign Ministry, meanwhile, presented alleged evidence of alleged Ukrainian intent to use a dirty bomb - but accompanied this claim with a photograph at least seven years old. The illustration of sacks with nuclear waste was already used in 2015. Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will send experts to "peaceful facilities in Ukraine" that Russia "fraudulently accuses of developing dirty bombs."
Liberated 90 villages in Kherson
According to its own statements, the Ukrainian army liberated more than 90 towns in the Cherson region, in which more than 12,000 people live. This is what the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense wrote on its Telegram channel. It was unclear to what period of time the notification referred. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian military intelligence service does not expect any withdrawal of Russian troops from the occupied city of Cherson in southern Ukraine. On the contrary, the Russian army is preparing to defend the city, said the head of the secret service, Kyrylo Budanov. "The Russian occupiers only create the illusion that they are leaving Cherson, but in fact they are bringing new military units there," he told Ukrajinska Pravda.
Separatists form local militias
The administration deployed by Russia in the southern Ukrainian region of Cherson forms a local militia. All men who are still in the regional capital of the same name could join the militia. The administration had previously urged civilians to leave the region as Ukrainian forces advance in the south of the country.
Occupier Vice calls for perseverance
The deputy head of the Russian occupation administration in Cherson, Kirill Stremoussov, spread perseverance slogans on his Telegram channel, but has long fled Cherson himself. A photo he posted to Telegram showing him with his family was taken at a wildlife park in Crimea, ntv's verification team confirmed.
Dam blast would only delay advance
According to the Ukrainian secret service, if Russia blew up the Kakhovka dam, it would cause an environmental catastrophe, but would only slightly slow down the advance of Ukrainian troops in the south. The areas occupied by Russia would be flooded, Kyrylo Budanov, head of military intelligence, told Ukrainska Pravda. In addition, a vital channel for the annexed peninsula would be lost with the dam blast. "Of course they would make our advance more difficult for a period of time. And that's not a very long period of time, by the way, like two weeks or so."
Also advances in northeastern Ukraine
The Ukrainian military also reported having expelled Russian units from several villages in the north-east of the country. "Thanks to successful actions, our soldiers pushed the enemy out of the villages of Karmazynikva, Myazosharivka and Nevske in the Luhansk region and Novozadove in the Donetsk region," the statement said.
Zelenskyj puts pressure on Israel
Against the background of ongoing Russian drone attacks on cities in Ukraine, the Ukrainian President accused Israel of having facilitated an "alliance" between Russia and Iran. Such an alliance "simply would not have existed" without the Israeli government's neutral stance on Russia's war of aggression against its country, Zelensky said.
Iran again denied selling drones to Russia. "We did not provide Russia with any weapons or drones for the war against Ukraine," Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said in a video released by local media.
Scholz announces reconstruction according to EU standards
Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced that the reconstruction of Ukraine after the end of the war would be geared towards the country's EU membership. "If we rebuild Ukraine, then we will do it with the goal of Ukraine as a member of the EU in mind," said the SPD politician at a German-Ukrainian economic forum in Berlin. The traffic infrastructure as well as the logistics and transport sector must be built in such a way that the country can be easily connected to the EU. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal put the financial requirements for reconstruction at $750 billion.
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