War in Ukraine: power cuts, “decapitated” soldier, Chinese support for Russia… update on the situation

Des soldats ukrainiens dans la région de Kharkiv le 18 juin 2024. EPA – SERGEY KOZLOV

Every day, Midi Libre takes stock of the situation in Ukraine. This Tuesday, June 18, 2024, discover the latest news around this conflict.

Power outages planned across Ukraine on Wednesday

Ukraine will introduce partial power outages throughout the day on Wednesday across the country to relieve a power grid that has been badly damaged by Russian bombing, utility Ukrenergo said on Tuesday.

“On June 19, all regional electricity distribution companies will implement hourly power outages for industries and households”, indicated the group, specifying that these measures will extend over 24 hours whereas until now they concerned smaller time slots, during consumption peaks.

China's support for Russian war effort in Ukraine 'must end,' Blinken says< /h2>

The head of American diplomacy Antony Blinken on Tuesday denounced China's support for the Russian war effort in Ukraine.

This aid "allowed Russia to maintain this military-industrial base, to maintain the war machine, to maintain the war. This must therefore stop", he declared during a press conference alongside NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

kyiv accuses Russian forces of having "decapitated" a Ukrainian soldier

Ukraine's Prosecutor General on Tuesday accused Russian forces of "beheading" a Ukrainian soldier in the Donetsk region, near the Eastern Front, denouncing a new war crime by Moscow's army.

"We received information that the heads of units of the Russian occupation forces in the Volnovakha zone of the Donetsk region ordered not to take prisoners among Ukrainian military personnel", explained the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office in a statement on Telegram. He claims that the head of a Ukrainian soldier was seen on a military vehicle during an aerial reconnaissance operation.

A photo accompanying the press release shows a light armored vehicle in camouflage colors with a blurred part on the hood where the head is believed to have been decapitated.

According to the prosecutor, these "actions constitute a flagrant violation of the articles of the Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War". The magistrate added that an investigation has been opened for "violation of the laws and customs of war" as well as "premeditated murder". Moscow has not yet responded to the allegations, and AFP has not been able to independently verify the Ukrainian prosecutors' claims.

Ukraine and Russia have accused their respective armies of committing crimes on the front lines since the war began in February 2022. As part of a 10-point peace plan put forward by President Volodymyr Zelensky, Kiev has called for the creation of a special tribunal to investigate the abuses.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday welcomed the the issuance by the International Criminal Court (ICC) of arrest warrants for two Russian commanders who are accused of war crimes related to bombings in Ukraine.