LIVE – “Ukraine will fight to the end”, Zelensky promises on Independence Day

Pope Francis called on Wednesday to “avoid the risk of nuclear catastrophe” in Ukraine six months after the Russian invasion began, again condemning the “madness of war”.

“For six months today, the Ukrainian people have suffered the horrors of war,” the Pope said, calling for “concrete measures to end the war and avoid the risk of a nuclear catastrophe in Zaporizhia.”

Several countries have expressed fears of disaster at Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, which has been occupied by the Russian military in the country’s south since early March and has been repeatedly bombed.

“I am thinking of this cruelty of all these innocent people who are paying for the madness of all parties, because war is madness,” the Argentine sovereign pontiff said after his weekly general audience at the Vatican.

Reuters reports that London and Oslo will jointly supply micro-drones to Ukraine to help counter a Russian invasion.

It’s a Black Hornet drone manufactured by Teledyne Flir. They can be used for reconnaissance and identification missions. Cost of surgery? Over 9 million euros.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a key ally of Russia, which has been waging an offensive in Ukraine for six months, sent a message of congratulations to the people of Ukraine on Wednesday on the occasion of Independence Day.

“I firmly believe that the current differences cannot destroy the centuries-old basis of good neighborly and sincere relations between the peoples of the two countries,” Lukashenko affirmed in the message.

He promised that Belarus would continue to voice “strengthening of friendly relations based on mutual respect at all levels”.

On Instagram, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke on this Independence Day in Ukraine, which marks six months since the Russian invasion.

“Our tears are not dry yet. But we wish, we will smile again. This is Independence Day during the Independence War,” the post said.

“Happy Independence Day, Ukraine! (…) And soon I will say to us: ‘Happy Victory Day'”, he concludes.

In a message during Ukraine’s national holiday on Wednesday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz pledged his country’s support to Kyiv “until” necessary to counter the Russian invasion.

“Germany stands firmly with Ukraine today, as long as Ukraine needs our support,” he said in a video message posted on his Twitter account.

“We will continue to supply weapons (…) and train Ukrainian soldiers in advanced European equipment,” Berlin said, referring to new arms deliveries announced on Tuesday.

Ukraine will fight “to the end” without “any concessions or compromises” with Russia, President Volodymyr Zelensky began in his address to the nation on his country’s Independence Day, which marks six months since the Russian invasion on Wednesday.

“We will fight (for our army) to the end,” he said, promising “no concessions or compromises” with Russia.

Ukrainian intelligence reported His Telegram channel The Russians tried to bomb the vicinity of the Zaporizhia power plant to “raise clouds of radioactive dust.”

“These are places where ash is stored. It is formed during the operation of thermal power plants. These ashes contain high levels of toxic substances and radiation levels 2.5 times higher than normal levels. Once they dry, these ashes will travel considerable distances,” the post said.

Ukrainians say unusual levels of radiation have been reported in the town of Energodar.

Russia expert Michel Eltchaninoff pointed out on BFMTV / RMC this morning that US intelligence’s warnings “should be taken seriously”.

Long before the war began, Washington warned its Western partners of the imminent threat of a Russian invasion. Paris and Berlin were skeptical of these reports.

With the growing threat of a full-scale Russian attack less than six months into the war, “maybe the Russians will wait a few days…but you have to take this seriously,” said Michel Eltchaninoff.

The British Ministry of Defense intelligence has indicated in its daily update that the Russian military is experiencing many difficulties six months after the start of the offensive in Ukraine.

“The offensive in Donbass is making little progress, and the Russians are expecting a major Ukrainian counteroffensive. Russia is suffering from shortages of ammunition, vehicles and soldiers. Many ranks of Moscow’s military have been significantly degraded. Its diplomatic power has been reduced and its long-term economic prospects are unclear,” it said. reading

10 Downing Street, the home of the British Prime Minister, is decorated with blue and yellow flowers in honor of Ukraine’s Independence Day.

“The UK will continue to support our Ukrainian friends now and in the future,” the Prime Minister’s Twitter account read.

This Wednesday marks six months since the Russian invasion of Ukraine and coincides with the anniversary of the country’s independence in 1991.

Destroyed Russian tanks are displayed in a downtown queue to mark the anniversary. They were recovered during fighting between the Ukrainian army and the Russian army in the past few months.

In some, you can even see the name of the cities where they were recovered.

The US Department of Defense has released a series of photographs showing military personnel carrying packages of munitions destined for Ukraine onto planes at the McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Joint Base.

“Our military is working around the clock to ensure the people of Ukraine have the equipment they need to defend their country.” US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said.

Six months after the Russian invasion, the Ukrainian football championship resumed on Tuesday with a match between Shakhtar Donetsk and Metalist Kharkiv.

A strong symbol for two cities hit hard by the conflict, the first is still in the hands of Russian forces today. In front of an empty stadium, the two teams drew 0-0.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday reiterated Turkey’s position that Ankara supports Ukraine’s territorial integrity and rejects Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea.

“The handover of Crimea to Ukraine is a requirement of international law,” he said.

“Turkey does not recognize the annexation of Crimea, and has clearly declared from the first day that this action is illegal and illegal. This is a principled position that is not only legal, but also morally based,” he said.

Germany will deliver new weapons worth about 500 million euros to Ukraine, part of it in 2023, a German government spokesman said on Tuesday.

The deliveries specifically included three Iris-de-Van air defense systems, “a dozen recovery tanks, 20 rocket launchers mounted on pick-ups”, as well as “precision munitions and anti-drone equipment”.

In total, these deliveries will reach around 500 million euros, according to this spokesperson, indicating that a large portion will be delivered in 2023.

This Wednesday, August 24th is a double sign day, which is very worryingUkraine. “Russia may try to do something particularly disgusting, particularly cruel,” Volodymyr Zelensky said in his traditional speech on Saturday.

“One of the main objectives of the enemy is to humiliate us”, “to sow despair, fear and conflict”, but “we must be strong enough to resist any provocation” and “pay for the terror of the aggressors”, and the Ukrainian president.

Why such fears? The day, first of all, marks the anniversary of Ukraine’s independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. For thirty-one years, the country has been trying to “establish its autonomy from Russia,” BFMTV.com’s Jerome Bellistrandi, security adviser to our antenna. “It was already a marked date in normal times,” he adds. But this also refers to August 24 Six months after the start of the conflict with RussiaOn February 24.

The United States will announce about $3 billion in military aid to Ukraine to mark Ukraine’s independence day and six months of conflict, a US official said on Tuesday.

>> We explain everything in this article

This Wednesday marks the two-year anniversary of Ukraine’s independence And six months of the beginning of the war started by Russia. Despite the stalemate in the conflict and the loss of thousands of soldiers, Ukrainian Defense Minister, Oleksiy Reznikov, wants to reassure. “The worst is behind us”, he said on CNNIn an interview on Tuesday.

“We’re in the process of stabilizing the entire battlefield,” he explains.

>> Our full article

Welcome to this live stream dedicated to tracking the news of the war in Ukraine that began six months ago.