Selenskyj insists on joining NATO
Against the background of Russia’s offensive war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has again called on his country to join NATO quickly. He had discussed a common line for the NATO summit in Vilnius in July with Polish President Andrzej Duda, he said in his daily video address on Wednesday. “This is precisely the time when Russian assumptions that someone in NATO is still afraid of Russia must be completely shattered,” he said.
Fears and false attention to Moscow fueled “Russia’s aggressive ambitions,” Zelensky said. However, Ukraine has shown how to neutralize this aggression – thus also helping to strengthen NATO.
Zelenskyj: All ruins must be rebuilt
In addition, the Ukrainian head of state reported on preparations for a conference in London designed to help rebuild his country. His concern is to rebuild all the ruins in Ukraine. “If the ruins disappear, not only does the attacker lose, but also the idea of aggression,” he said.
He again criticized the insufficient enforcement of sanctions against Russia. As the day before, he was responding to a Russian missile strike – this time against the port city of Odessa. Many parts of these rockets came from abroad. Zelensky argued that if sanctions were consistently enforced, Russia would no longer be able to fire on Ukraine.
Kiev reports high Russian losses after Ukrainian offensive
The Ukrainian army inflicted heavy losses on the occupying Russian forces during its offensive – or so the government claims. “Despite false Russian reports to the contrary, the Ukrainian army suffered only a fraction of the casualties during its offensive compared to the occupiers,” Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maljar wrote on Telegram on Wednesday. According to them, the ratio in the Bakhmut area is close to 1:9, in the south of Ukraine it is a good 1:5. This information cannot be independently verified.
The Russian Defense Ministry has repeatedly stated in recent days that it thwarted the Ukrainian offensive and inflicted heavy casualties on the attacking forces. Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin spoke of “catastrophic losses” for Kiev, apparently referring to the ministry’s figures. Maljar denied these statements, describing them as part of a disinformation campaign aimed at demoralization.
Judging by media reports, the Ukrainian offensive, which has been underway since early June, is progressing slowly. The troops managed to capture some cities in the south of Ukraine and pushed the Russians back on the flanks near Bakhmut. However, the Ukrainians have not yet succeeded in breaking through at the front. Heavy rains also hampered the advance of the troops in the south of Ukraine.
Posse about confidants of the Chechen chief Kadyrov
Meanwhile, Chechen ruler Ramzan Kadyrov caused confusion with an investigative report for his cousin, State Duma deputy Adam Delimkhanov. First, the head of the Russian republic wrote that Delimkhanov had disappeared in the war zone in Ukraine. He just couldn’t find it. “He doesn’t answer.” Hours later, Kadyrov then claimed on Telegram that Delimkhanov had not disappeared or been killed, “not even injured”. He fueled the rumors of his cousin’s disappearance mainly to fool the Ukrainian media.
Kadyrov’s fighters, notorious for their particular brutality, are fighting in Russia’s offensive war against Ukraine and have recently been deployed in Marjinka in particular. The town west of Donetsk, now largely destroyed, has been under trial by Russian troops for months.
Russia: Fire at cogeneration plant leads to electricity shortages in Rostov
Meanwhile, a fire has broken out at a combined heat and power plant in southern Russia near the border with Ukraine. About 150 employees of the power plant in Novocherkassk were evacuated on Wednesday, according to Russian civil protection. Work has been temporarily suspended. The governor of the Rostov region, Vasily Golubev, reported on Telegram that three workers were injured. Videos of the scene posted online showed plumes of black smoke rising from the roof of the power plant.
Civil protection spoke on Telegram of a gas leak as the cause of the fire and ruled out “external influence”. Recently, several industrial plants had gone up in flames following drone attacks.
The thermal power station is the main energy supplier of the Rostov region. Due to the fire-related closure of the power plant, the region’s population should expect power shortages, Golubev wrote. Local Russian media reported widespread power outages in the region on Wednesday. News channels distributed photos of stationary electric buses in Rostov.
What will be important on Thursday
NATO defense ministers meet in Brussels. Another topic is the coordination of further military aid to Ukraine.
Meanwhile, in Ukraine itself, fighting continues in the south of the country, where Zelensky’s troops aim to recapture the occupied territories. The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, is actually expected there to inspect the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant. After the destruction of the Kachowka dam, the reservoir from which the nuclear power plant draws its cooling water continues to melt. After Grossi’s visit was postponed for security reasons on Wednesday, it is unclear when the Argentinian will appear there. An adviser to Russia’s Rosenergoatom nuclear company told state news agency Tass that Grossi is “very likely” to inspect the nuclear plant on Thursday. (con/sda/dpa)
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
