In the fight against the Russian invaders, Ukraine relies on modern weapons. An attack on positions around the Enerhodar nuclear power plant took place in Kyiv with combat drones. Meanwhile, according to experts, the Russian troops are making slow progress. At the diplomatic level, Moscow is trying other means: the Kremlin has put five EU countries on a list of "unfriendly states." Meanwhile, an agreement provides hope that poorer countries could be saved from impending famine: both warring parties signed an agreement to export millions of tons of grain near Odessa for the world market. The 148th day of the war at a glance.
Kyiv confirms use of kamikaze drones
The Ukrainian army says it has deployed combat drones at the Enerhodar nuclear power plant, which is occupied by the Russian army. "An attack on a tent city and enemy technology was carried out with kamikaze drones," said the military intelligence service in Kyiv. Air defenses and a Grad (Hail) multiple rocket launcher were said to have been destroyed. According to the intelligence service, three Russians were killed and twelve injured. A video released shows tents and people fleeing an explosion.
The Russian occupation administration for the Zaporizhia region had previously reported on the attack around 440 kilometers south-east of the capital Kyiv. Accordingly, eleven power plant employees are said to have been injured, four of them seriously. With six blocks and an output of 6000 megawatts, Europe's largest nuclear power plant was captured by the Russian army in early March.
Experts: Russian troops are making slow progress
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian authorities recorded fire from Russian troops on all sectors of the front. Western military experts, however, said the attackers were making slow progress. "Russian forces are unlikely to gain ground in the coming weeks," wrote the US Institute for War Studies (ISW). According to British information, the invading troops are increasingly using anti-aircraft missiles against targets on the ground. Accordingly, the Russians suffer from a "critical shortage" of surface-to-surface missiles and are therefore resorting to weapons intended for launching aircraft. These posed a high risk to civilians, the daily British intelligence report said.
Ukrainians describe mistreatment by Russian troops in occupied territories
In addition, the human rights organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) accused the Russian army of torture, illegal arrests and deprivation of liberty of civilians in southern Ukraine. "Russian troops have turned the areas they have occupied in southern Ukraine into an abyss of fear and wild anarchy," said HRW Ukraine representative Yulia Gorbunova. According to HRW, they interviewed more than 70 Ukrainians, who described more than 40 cases of abuse and torture. The victims were beaten or electrocuted, they suffered injuries to their ribs or teeth, burns or concussions.
Selenskyj critic speaks of expatriation from Ukraine
According to his own statements, the chief of regional defense in the southeastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro was denaturalized during a trip abroad. "I can't enter the country with any documents. As a matter of fact, I'm stuck here in the border area," Hennadij Korban told Ukrainian media. He recently complained publicly about the lack of support from Kyiv and is said to have pushed for the dismissal of the head of the presidential office, Andriy Yermak, through US contacts. This in turn has long been accused of connections to Russia. The Ukrainian media have been speculating for days about an alleged secret decree by President Volodymyr Zelenskyj, according to which at least ten Ukrainians have had their citizenship revoked because they allegedly had a second citizenship.
Kremlin expands sanctions list
In response to the Western sanctions, the Russian government has once again explicitly included the EU countries Greece, Denmark, Slovenia, Slovakia and Croatia on its list of "unfriendly states". In fact, the entire European Union was already there. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov commented on the government's decision as a further step by Moscow to reduce contact with these countries. The main issue is restrictions on the diplomatic missions of the countries in Moscow to hire Russian personnel.
According to this, Slovenia and Croatia are no longer allowed to employ Russian citizens. For the other countries, specific figures are stipulated. Other restrictions are also possible, said Peskow. The background is an unfriendly policy of the countries towards Russia, said Peskov, without going into detail. Following a decree by Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin, the Russian government began compiling a list of "unfriendly states" last year, with the United States and the Czech Republic appearing first. After the war of aggression against Ukraine, those countries that supported sanctions against Moscow were also counted on.
Poland upset at hesitation in tank ring swap
Another EU country, Poland, has sharply criticized the federal government in connection with the planned exchange of arms for arms deliveries to Ukraine. "The German promises to swap tank rings have turned out to be deceptive maneuvers," Deputy Foreign Minister Szymon Szynkowski vel Sek told Der Spiegel. From the Polish point of view, the German offers are unacceptable, so they are now relying on the help of other NATO partners. First, the Germans offered tanks "that were older than the ones we gave Ukraine," he said. It was also only about the slow release of a few tanks. That's why Poland prefers to talk to other NATO partners "who are really willing to help us." According to him, Poland is already receiving tanks from the United States and Great Britain. The tank ring exchange is actually supposed to enable fast deliveries of heavy war equipment that is familiar to the soldiers in Ukraine.
Uniper is preparing a legal dispute with Gazprom after losing billions
The energy company Uniper, which got into difficulties due to reduced gas deliveries from Russia, wants compensation from its supplier Gazprom. "It is clear that we will try - for the benefit of our company - to hold Gazprom liable," said the company's CEO, Klaus-Dieter Maubach, in Düsseldorf. He cannot yet say whether it will be a dispute before arbitral tribunals or before public courts. Uniper gets most of its gas imports from Russia. However, because much less is now coming in than before, Uniper has to buy expensive extra energy on the market in order to be able to fulfill its contracts with municipal utilities and industrial companies. So far, Uniper has not been allowed to pass on the additional costs to its contract customers, which is why the group is doing deep red business.
Maubach put the cost of these replacement purchases at 4.5 billion euros by the end of August. If a pay-as-you-go system planned by the federal government, which is intended to cover 90 percent of the extra costs, is not introduced until October, Uniper would cost another 1.7 billion euros, said the manager. According to him, contracts between Uniper and Gazprom will run until the mid-2030s. His company does not have a special right of termination.
According to its own statements, Russia is not slowing down the withdrawal of gas turbines
Meanwhile, the uncertainty regarding further Russian gas deliveries through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline persists: According to Russia, the turbine for the pipe, which is being serviced in Canada, is not stuck in Germany for lack of a Russian import permit. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov contradicted a corresponding report. Peskow called the report "nonsense". The insiders quoted there are wrong. They had said that Russia had not yet approved the return of the turbine from its stopover in Germany.
Brussels readjusts sanctions
The EU, meanwhile, relaxed regulations affecting grain and fertilizer exports from Russia. The main focus is on financing and insuring such transactions. The EU allowed "technical assistance" to Russian aviation to ensure compliance with safety standards. The largest country in the world is held together by air traffic, in passenger traffic mainly western aircraft from Airbus and Boeing are flown. The new sanctions package imposed punitive measures on 57 people and organizations, including the head of the Russian arms holding Rostech, Sergey Chemezov, and the Russian Sberbank. Above all, the import of Russian gold was restricted.
Istanbul will monitor Ukrainian grain exports in the future
There was a breakthrough in another commodity: Almost five months after the start of Russia's war of aggression, an international agreement allows Ukraine to export millions of tons of grain for the world market. Russia and Ukraine signed corresponding agreements in Istanbul in the same room - but separately from each other and one after the other - mediated by UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Turkey. The agreement regulates how the grain from Ukraine can reach the world market via the Black Sea through the Bosphorus. It was the first time since the beginning of the war at the end of February that Kyiv and Moscow had even signed documents and reached a compromise. Ukraine is one of the most important grain exporters in the world. The deal "opens the way for large-scale commercial food exports from three key Ukrainian Black Sea ports - Odessa, Chornomorsk and Yuzhnyy," Guterres said.
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