The drone war continues. Early this Monday morning, September 11, Russia claimed to have shot down two Ukrainian drones over the Belgorod region, on the border with Ukraine, without causing any casualties.
Nearly 300 kilometers to the south, near Bakhmout, two humanitarian workers, one Spanish, the other Canadian, were killed in a bombing that Kiev attributes to the Russians.
At the same time, Moscow claimed Sunday evening the victory of Vladimir Putin’s party in the elections organized in the territories annexed to Ukraine, with more than 70% of the votes, ballots considered “illegal” by Kiev and its allies.
Russia claims to have shot down two Ukrainian drones in the Belgorod region
“Active air defense systems destroyed two aerial drones over the territory of the Belgorod region” on Monday “around 01:20 Moscow time,” the Russian Defense Ministry wrote on Telegram. “Our defense system worked in the Yakovlevsky urban district: two aerial drones were shot down. There are no casualties,” declared the governor of the region Vyacheslav Gladkov, also on Telegram, adding that debris from the aircraft had fallen on a road near a residential building.
The Belgorod region is located in western Russia, on the border with Kharkiv on the Ukrainian side. Ukrainian drone offensives against Russian cities, whether close to Ukraine, in the annexed peninsula of Crimea or whether it is the capital Moscow, have multiplied in recent months against the backdrop of a counter – Kyiv offensive started at the beginning of June.
Two Western aid workers killed in Ukraine
Two aid workers, a Canadian and a Spanish woman, were killed near Bakhmut, in eastern Ukraine, in an attack attributed by kyiv to Russian troops on Sunday. “This Russian bombardment once again shows how close war is for all citizens of the world,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday evening, denouncing this “attack on a volunteer car by Russian terrorists”.
The victims are the Spaniard Emma Igual and the Canadian Anthony Ihnat, who worked for the NGO Road to Relief. Emma Igual, 32, was the director and co-founder. According to the NGO, the attack took place on Saturday morning in Chassiv Yar, near Bakhmout. “Following a direct hit, the vehicle overturned and caught fire,” she said. The aid workers had left Sloviansk and were heading to Bakhmut to assess the needs of civilians “caught in the crossfire” in the town of Ivanivske.
“All my love and support in these difficult times to the family and loved ones of Spanish humanitarian Emma Igual […]. Spain stands alongside its humanitarian workers who, through their dedication, put their lives at risk for others,” the head of the Spanish government Pedro Sanchez reacted on Sunday on X (formerly Twitter). Canada confirmed the death of one of its nationals, without wishing to give further details.
Moscow claims a landslide victory for Putin’s party in Ukrainian territories annexed by Russia
Russia’s Central Election Commission said Sunday evening that the Russian president’s United Russia party came first in these regional elections in the four territories annexed to Ukraine, with more than 70% of the vote. The President of the Electoral Commission, Ella Pamfilova, welcomed the elections which took place “dynamically, with few violations”. With these elections spread over three days, from Friday to Sunday, Moscow is trying to legitimize its annexations in Ukraine by voting in the occupied territories in the east and south. These polls are considered “illegal” by kyiv and its allies.
Despite strong condemnations from the West, Russia proclaimed in September 2022 the annexation of four Ukrainian territories that it only partially controls – Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Donetsk and Lugansk -, following “referendums” not recognized by the International community. The fighting is still raging there and the Ukrainian army has launched a counter-offensive.
“30 days left” to carry out Ukrainian counter-offensive says US Chief of Staff Mark Milley
“There are still around thirty to forty-five days left” to continue the Ukrainian counter-offensive before the weather conditions deteriorate. This observation is made by the head of the American army Mark Milley during an interview for the BBC Sunday with his British counterpart, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin. The military official also admitted that the kyiv troops had advanced more slowly than expected against the opposing positions. But “violent fighting continues, the Ukrainians continue to advance at a very regular pace across the Russian front lines”, indicates at the same time the general.