08/06/2022 17:36 (act 08/06/2022 17:37)
The fight in Ukraine again cost many lives. ©Portal/Alexander Ermochenko
The Russian army says it has killed nearly 600 Ukrainian soldiers in air and artillery attacks.
“Near the village of Bilohirka in the Kherson region, the temporary location of the 46th Ukrainian Air Assault Brigade was hit by airstrikes and artillery fire,” Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said on Saturday. More than 400 “nationalists” were killed.
Hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers killed in rocket attacks
In addition, more than 70 other soldiers were killed and 150 wounded by rocket attacks in front of Kherson. More than 80 “foreign mercenaries” died in rocket attacks in the Dnipropetrovsk region. Konashenkov also reported on the destruction of several artillery systems in Ukraine. A battery of “Olcha” and Himars rocket launchers was destroyed. Himars are US long-range, accurate multiple rocket launchers. In the past, Moscow has repeatedly reported that these weapon systems have been taken out of action. Kyiv and Washington later denied this. There is also no independent confirmation for Konashenkov’s current report.
UK says war in Ukraine is on the brink of a new phase
Earlier on Saturday, Britain’s Defense Ministry announced that the war in Ukraine was about to enter a new phase, according to British military intelligence. Most of the fighting was therefore shifted to a front nearly 350 kilometers long, which stretched southwest parallel to the Dnieper, from the area around Zaporizhia to Kherson.
“Emergency Protection System”: Reactor in Zaporizhia shut down
On its Telegram channel, Ukrainian state nuclear authority Energoatom also announced on Saturday that one of the nuclear reactors had been shut down after the Russian-occupied Ukrainian nuclear plant Zaporizhia was bombed. The “emergency protection system” was triggered by the air strikes and the reactor was shut down. It was previously said that there was an even greater risk of fire and radiation. “The Zaporizhia nuclear power plant operates at the risk of violating radiation and fire protection regulations.” Both parties to the conflict blame each other for the attack on the facility. A nitrogen system and an auxiliary body at the plant were damaged by the previous day’s bombing. “There is still a risk of hydrogen leakage and spread of radioactive particles, and the risk of fire is also high,” said Energoatom. The Ukrainian plant’s personnel are trying to ensure the nuclear safety of the plant, even in these conditions. However, the threat of occupation of the plant by Russian troops remains high. The Ministry of Climate Protection reports that there is currently no danger for Austria.
On Friday, the plant in the town of Enerhodar, in the Zaporizhia region, caught fire due to bombing, but was extinguished. A block of the nuclear power plant had to be closed. The power supply in the city was partially lost. While Moscow blamed Ukrainian troops, Kyiv said the Russians themselves bombed the area. The information cannot be independently verified.
Reports on the mining of the nuclear power plant
Meanwhile, the Kremlin-critical Internet outlet “The Insider” reported on a possible mining of the plant. A video reportedly filmed earlier this week shows Russian military trucks entering the factory site and unloading goods there. One of the trucks enters the factory’s engine room. According to “The Insider”, either the plant itself or the area around it has been mined.
For weeks there has been criticism that Russian troops are using the nuclear plant as a protective shield for their own artillery, which is bombing Ukrainian-controlled areas from there. “The EU condemns Russia’s military activities around the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant. This is a serious and irresponsible violation of nuclear safety rules and another example of Russia’s disregard for international norms,” said EU foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell. He demanded access from the International Atomic Energy Agency to the facility.
Increase in Russian attacks in the Donetsk region
Since capturing Luhansk Oblast, Russian attacks in eastern Ukraine have focused on neighboring Donetsk Oblast. The invaders have gradually managed to push the Ukrainian defenders back in recent weeks. They now control about 60% of the territory. The headquarters of Ukrainian troops in Donbass is located in the Sloviansk-Kramatorsk conurbation, where around half a million people lived before the war. This area is protected to the east by the Siwersk – Soledar – Bakhmut line of fortifications. This is now failing in several places. Russian troops are also in front of Siwersk and Soledar. However, the heaviest fighting is currently taking place around the Bachmut junction.
Fighting also continues in front of the former regional capital of Donetsk, which has been in the hands of pro-Russian separatists since 2014. Troops loyal to Moscow are trying to push the Ukrainians away. In the area of the small town of Avdiivka, north of Donetsk, there were several attempted attacks that were repulsed, the General Staff said. The area is bombed extensively with artillery. In the south of the country, however, the initiative is passed on to the Ukrainians. According to the Kyiv situation report, Russian troops are focusing on defending their positions. The Ukrainian military’s Southern Command previously reported that it had destroyed at least six Russian arms and ammunition depots and two command posts in the Kherson region. There is also no independent confirmation for this information.