UPDATE ON THE SITUATION – Le Figaro summarizes the latest information from journalists, official Ukrainian and Russian statements, Western sources and international organizations.
Russia continues to strengthen its defensive positions in southern Ukraine in anticipation of a Ukrainian counter-offensive, the mayor of Nagasaki is sounding the alarm over the nuclear threat, the launch by Russia of an Iranian observation satellite is a cause for concern… On the 167th of the conflict, Le Figaro draws this Tuesday, August 9, an inventory of the latest information from the war in Ukraine.
Russia is stepping up its defenses
Russia has further strengthened its defense positions in southern Ukraine since the weekend while maintaining attacks in the Donetsk region in the east of the country, the British Ministry of Defense said on Monday. Moscow has focused its greatest efforts on this oblast over the past 30 days, although Russian forces have advanced only about ten kilometers, the British ministry also pointed out in a regular update of its intelligence services.
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But the city of Kherson in southern Ukraine, which fell into the hands of Russian forces early in the conflict, could soon become the new epicenter of the fighting, the British ministry hinted at last weekend. “It is almost certain that Russian forces will regroup in anticipation of a Ukrainian counteroffensive or in preparation for a possible attack in southern Ukraine,” the ministry said, explaining the arrival of numerous convoys of Russian military trucks, tanks, artillery and other weapons from the Donbass and are now on their way to the south-west of Ukraine.
Moscow launches Iranian satellite
Russia on Tuesday launched an Iranian observation satellite, the launch of which has raised concerns as some Western officials fear Moscow will use it to support its offensive in Ukraine, which Tehran denies. The launch of the Khayyam remote sensing satellite by a Soyuz rocket took place at 05:52 GMT from Russia’s Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, according to the Russian Space Agency (Roscosmos).
According to Iranian Space, this satellite, named in honor of the Persian poet and scholar Omar Khayyam (1048-1131), aims in particular to “monitor the borders of the country”, improve agricultural productivity, control water resources and natural disasters Agency. For the United States, Iran’s space program is for military rather than commercial purposes, while Tehran claims its aerospace activities are peaceful and in line with a UN Security Council resolution.
This time, however, Iranian authorities have had to defend themselves against allegations of a different nature after American daily The Washington Post reported that Russia plans to use the satellite as part of its offensive in Ukraine for “several months” before handing it over control of Iran. “All orders related to the control and operation of this satellite will be issued by Iranian experts based at the Iranian Communications Ministry from day one and immediately after launch,” the Iranian Space Agency said in a statement Sunday.
“No third country can access the data sent by the satellite using an ‘encryption algorithm’,” she assured, denouncing the American newspaper’s “false” claims.
The mayor of Nagasaki sounds the alarm
Nuclear weapons have posed a “real and present” threat since Russia invaded Ukraine, Nagasaki Mayor Tomihisa Taue said on Tuesday, marking the 77th anniversary of the nuclear bombing that devastated the Japanese city. However, Nagasaki Mayor Tomihisa Taue sounded the alarm on Tuesday. “In January this year, the leaders of the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France and China issued a joint statement reiterating that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought,” he said.
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“But the following month, Russia invaded Ukraine. Threats to use nuclear weapons were made that shook the world. The use of nuclear weapons is not an unfounded fear, but a real and present crisis,” the mayor of Nagasaki said. He warned that these weapons could be triggered by miscalculations, malfunctions or terrorist attacks. Nagasaki survivors, Japanese officials and foreign dignitaries offered a silent prayer at 11:02 am, just as the atomic bomb was dropped on the Japanese port city.
New Start Treaty: Russia suspends US inspections of its military sites
Russia announced on Monday that it was suspending planned US inspections of its military sites under the New Start Treaty, a key nuclear disarmament agreement between the two powers, and gave assurances that it would wait for US obstacles to similar Russian inspections in Russia the United States responded. Russia “officially informed” the United States on Monday that all of its sites subject to New Start inspections are “temporarily exempted,” Russian diplomacy said in a statement.
These include missile launch bases and air and naval bases that use nuclear missiles. This announcement comes amid a Russian offensive in Ukraine that has been underway since February 24 and as Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to praise the new “invincible” weapons Russia is developing. “The Russian Federation is forced to resort to this measure (…) because of the existing realities that give the United States unilateral advantages and deprive Russia of its right to conduct inspections on American territory,” the press release reads.
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Russian diplomacy specifically points to travel restrictions for Russian inspectors and difficulties in obtaining visas caused by Western sanctions imposed on Moscow over the Ukraine conflict. “American inspectors and crew members on their planes do not face similar difficulties,” the statement said. However, Russia appreciates “very much the unique role” of the treaty in Moscow-Washington nuclear relations, he stresses.
Once issues related to resuming inspections under the treaty are resolved, Russia will reverse its decision announced on Monday “immediately,” Russian diplomacy says.