War in Ukraine: explosion of a Russian bridge, final assessment in Odessa, German ambassador summoned… update on the situation

Les recherches sont terminées à Odessa. MAXPPP – IGOR TKACHENKO

Tous les jours, Midi Libre fait le point sur la situation en Ukraine. Ce lundi 4 mars 2024, découvrez les dernières actualités autour de ce conflit.

The death toll from the Russian attack in Odessa rose to 12 dead

Rescuers completed their search operations this Sunday in the rubble of a building in Odessa, in the south of Ukraine, targeted the day before by a Russian drone attack which left a total of 12 dead.

The governor of the Odessa region, Oleh Kiper, said on Telegram on Sunday that rescue teams had found the body of an eight-year-old girl in the evening, close to that of his older brother, discovered earlier. Earlier in the day, rescuers found the remains of a mother and her baby.

Among the 12 people who died, five were children, the youngest being four months old, the governor said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the deaths could have been avoided if Ukraine did not face delays in arms deliveries. Sunday was declared a day of mourning in Odessa.

Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko also reported on Telegram a Russian attack on an apartment building in the eastern town of Kurakhové, in the Donetsk region. Sixteen people, including two children, were injured in the bomb attack which damaged dozens of buildings, he added.

Explosion on a Russian railway bridge, train traffic disrupted

An explosion on Monday morning on a railway bridge near Samara, some 850 kilometers southeast of Moscow, forced Russia's national railway company to cancel or divert trains, Russian news agencies report, citing emergency services.

Ukrainian military intelligence confirmed the explosion in a statement but did not claim responsibility. He specifies that trains carrying munitions – manufactured in a nearby factory – for the Russian army use this bridge spanning the Chapaevka.

The explosion did not cause any injuries. The bridge is expected to be impassable for a while, according to Ukrainian intelligence.

Berlin accuses Russia of being behind the "leaks" Germans

Germany accused Russia on Monday of being behind the broadcast on social networks of confidential exchanges between senior German officers on the conflict in Ukraine, after having denied the summoning of its ambassador in Moscow to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In the audio recording broadcast in particular by Russian media, and whose content Reuters was unable to authenticate, senior German military officials discuss a potential attack on the Crimean bridge by the Russian army. #39;Ukraine and the possible delivery of Taurus cruise missiles to Kiev, an initiative that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has so far firmly rejected. Germany confirmed the authenticity of the 38-minute exchange and said it was investigating what it describes as “eavesdropping.” led by Russia as part of an "information war".

"This hybrid attack aimed to generate insecurity and divide us", said Monday a spokesperson for the German government. "And we won't allow it. We are in permanent contact with our partners". A spokesman for British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told reporters that Germany must investigate the leak and that Britain would continue to work with Germany to support the ;Ukraine.

He added, however, that Britain was the first country to provide long-range precision strike missiles to Ukraine and that the British government was encouraging its allies to follow suit.

Olaf Scholz reaffirmed Monday on the sidelines of a trip to Germany that he would oppose the delivery of Taurus missiles if their deployment required the delivery of Taurus missiles. sending Bundeswehr soldiers to Ukrainian territory.

The Russian agency TASS also reported, citing an anonymous source, that the German ambassador had been summoned to provide explanations after these &amp ;quot;leaks". Scenario denied by Berlin. "Our ambassador indeed went to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs this morning for a meeting scheduled for a while. In this regard, my answer is a simple 'no' When asked whether it was a summons", said a spokesperson for the German Foreign Ministry. The ambassador left the ministry without speaking to journalists.

The Kremlin sees in this alleged recording proof of the direct involvement of the" 39;West in the conflict in Ukraine. "The recording reveals that concrete discussions on plans for strikes on Russian territory are taking place within the Bundeswehr (the German armed forces, editor's note). No legal interpretation is necessary. Everything is obvious", said Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman. Dmitry Peskov added that it was not clear whether the German armed forces were acting on their own initiative or whether it was the implementation of ;a coalition policy.

"We need to know whether the Bundeswehr is acting on its own initiative. If so, the question is whether the Bundeswehr is controllable and whether Scholz is in control of the situation. Or is this part of the German government's policy", he asked. The German government spokesperson on Monday described these accusations as propaganda "absurd".