War in Ukraine: major Russian attack, Kursk nuclear power plant, withdrawal of Belarusian troops… an update on the situation

Every day, Midi Libre takes stock of the situation in Ukraine. This Monday, August 26, 2024, discover the latest news about this conflict.

A major Russian airstrike

Russia carried out a major airstrike on Monday morning, August 26, against Ukraine, killing at least seven people and damaging electrical infrastructure, the authorities in Kyiv reported, with Volodymyr Zelensky reporting the firing of "more than a hundred" missiles and a hundred attack drones.

Power outages and disruptions to the water distribution network were reported in several cities across the country, including Kyiv: At least ten regions have been targeted by the Russian army, two and a half years after the launch of the “Special operation” of the Kremlin in Ukraine, February 24, 2022.

Energy facilities have been Russia's favorite target since last March, a strategy that Kyiv says aims to deprive the Ukrainian population of electricity and heating during the winter. “More than a hundred missiles of various types were fired, as well as about a hundred Shahed drones”, the Ukrainian president said on Telegram.

“The enemy used different types of weapons: drones, cruise missiles and Kinjal (Kh-47M2, hypersonic air-to-ground missile). There are wounded and dead”, wrote Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on the messenger. Significant damage was recorded in 15 regions, he added. Volodymyr Zelensky speaks of "numerous damage" in energy infrastructure.

According to the Ukrainian Air Force, the Russian army used 11 Tupolev Tu-95 strategic bombers to fire its missiles. The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that it had targeted gas compressor stations, electrical substations, as well as Western-supplied ammunition and weapons depots on two Ukrainian air bases. According to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, a hydroelectric power plant was bombed in the Kyiv region.

IAEA Director General at the Kursk nuclear power plant on Tuesday

The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, announced that he will supervise an inspection mission to the Kursk nuclear power plant in the Russian region of the same name, which is the target of an offensive by the Ukrainian army, on Tuesday, August 27. "Given the gravity of the situation, I will personally lead the IAEA mission to the Kursk nuclear power plant in Russia tomorrow,", Rafael Grossi wrote on his X account on Monday.

"I reiterate that the safety and security of nuclear facilities must not be compromised under any circumstances danger”, he added. The Kursk Oblast, which borders Ukraine, has been the scene of an offensive by the Ukrainian army since August 6. The Kursk nuclear power plant is located in Kurchatov, 40 km west of the city of Kursk.

Ukraine calls on Belarus to withdraw troops from border

Ukraine on Sunday, August 25, called on Belarus to withdraw what it described as a significant contingent of troops and military equipment deployed on the border between the two countries, warning of the risk of“tragic mistakes” amid heightened tensions in the conflict between Kyiv and Russia.

In a statement, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry urged the Belarusian military to "stop hostile actions" and withdraw its troops away from the border. He added that members of Belarusian special forces and former mercenaries of the Russian paramilitary group Wagner were among the fighters on the border.

Kyiv assures through its ministry that Ukraine “has never taken and will not take hostile actions against the Belarusian people”. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on August 18 criticized Ukraine for stationing more than 120,000 troops on the border between the two countries, adding that in response he had decided to deploy nearly a third of his troops in the area. soldiers.