08/24/2022 7:03
Split
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The date of independence from the Soviet Union coincides with six months of war. Authorities warn of Russian bombing raids and ban large gatherings in the capital. “We will fight to the end,” Zelenskyy promises. Residents of Kiev woke up to the sound of warning sirens on Wednesday (24/08), a date that marks Ukraine’s Independence Day and six months of the war Russia started in the country. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged the population to remain vigilant and promised his country would fight the Russian invasion “to the end”.
“Russian taunts and brutal attacks are possible. Please strictly adhere to the safety rules. Please note the curfew. Watch out for sirens. Watch out for official announcements.
Authorities in the Ukrainian capital banned large gatherings in Kyiv until Thursday amid fears of heavy Russian rocket attacks during the national holiday celebrating Ukraine’s declaration of independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. A curfew was imposed on the front lines in Kharkiv, eastern Ukraine, which has withstood months of bombing.
“Russian invaders continue to conduct air and missile strikes on civilian targets on the territory of Ukraine. Don’t ignore the signs of civil defense,” the General Staff of Ukraine’s army said in a statement released on Wednesday.
A small group of people gathered in the morning in Kyiv’s central square, where Russian tanks captured over the weekend were exhibited and where the Ukrainian national anthem is played at 7 a.m. every day.
“I can’t sleep at night because I see and hear what’s happening in Ukraine,” a retiree, who identified herself as Tetyana, told the Associated Press (AP). “This is not a war. It is the destruction of the Ukrainian people.”
Fear of further attacks
A bomb attack near Moscow that killed Daria Dugina, the daughter of Russian legal ideologist Alexander Dugin, last Saturday raised fears that Russia could step up attacks on Ukraine this week.
Russian officials blamed Kyiv for the death of Dugina, a nationalist and TV commentator. It is believed that his father, who was appointed Putin’s guru, was the actual target of the attack. The Ukrainian government has denied any involvement in the incident.
On Monday, the US State Department issued a security alert, noting that Russia is stepping up efforts to launch attacks on Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure and government facilities in the coming days, and may even use Ukraine’s National Day to do so.
“The security situation across Ukraine is very volatile and conditions could deteriorate without warning,” the alert said.
The US embassy in Kyiv urged US citizens still in Ukraine to leave the country immediately, if possible, via available land routes.
“We will fight to the end, without compromise”
Exactly six months ago, on February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered tens of thousands of soldiers to invade Ukraine. The war killed thousands of civilians, forced more than a third of Ukraine’s 41 million population from their homes, left cities in ruins and rocked the world economy. There are no immediate prospects for peace talks between the two sides.
In his Independence Day speech, Zelenskyy said that Ukraine would not make any concessions to Russia.
“Six months ago, Russia declared war on us. On February 24, we were told: You don’t stand a chance. But on August 24, we say: Happy Independence Day, Ukraine!” Zelenskyy explained. “We don’t care what army you have, we just care about our country. We will fight for it to the end,” he promised.
“We stood firm for six months. It’s tough, but we clenched our fists and fought for our destiny,” he continued. “Every new day is a reason not to give up. After such a long journey, we have no right not to continue to the end.”
Regarding Russia, Zelenskyy said: “We will not seek any agreement with terrorists. For us, Ukraine is all of Ukraine. All 25 regions, without concessions.”
At a virtual summit in Crimea on Tuesday, Zelenskyi told representatives of about 60 countries and international organizations that Ukraine will expel Russian forces from the peninsula by any means necessary and without prior consultation with other countries.
In addition to Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014, Russian forces have extended their control to areas of southern Ukraine, including the coasts of the Black Sea and Sea of Azov, and parts of the eastern Donbass region, which includes Donetsk and Lugansk provinces.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces claimed that nearly 9,000 of their soldiers were killed in the war. Russia has not disclosed its casualties, but US intelligence estimates that 15,000 were killed in the conflict, which Moscow calls a “special military operation” to “denazify” Ukraine.
lf (AP, Portal, AFP, Efe, DPA)