The city council of Kherson, a martyr city in southern Ukraine, on Friday evening called on residents to leave the city and surrounding communities. Strikes by the Russian army have been repeated for several days. “Russian troops continue to terrorize our territorial community. Localities near the Dnieper River are the most affected. Due to constant attacks, it is almost impossible to ensure a stable supply of heat and water there. The best option for to protect themselves and their loved ones is to evacuate to safer places,” authorities said in a statement. a message broadcast on Telegram. Evacuation buses have been set up.
While the city of Kherson was liberated by Ukrainian forces in November 2022 from Russian occupation, Kremlin soldiers are stepping up offensives to regain control. Kherson Governor Oleksandr Prokudin says Russia attacked Ukrainian-controlled areas of the oblast 74 times in 24 hours, firing 423 heavy artillery and rocket launcher shells multiple Grad. “Twelve shells hit residential areas, private residential buildings and a medical establishment,” added the governor, who assured that one person was killed.
Five million Ukrainians deprived of drinking water
Ruslan Strilets, Ukrainian Minister for the Protection of the Environment and Natural Resources, warned at the United Nations platform on Friday about the situation of five million Ukrainians, deprived of drinking water with the fighting. He even estimates that 70% of the population of his country could be deprived of water in the coming weeks with the progressive destruction of hydraulic infrastructures.
Damage to these infrastructures also poses a nuclear safety risk. The spill of water from the Kakhovka reservoir risks disrupting the cooling systems of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, which has been occupied by Russia for a year. A “Fukushima scenario”, “in the middle of the European continent”, cannot be excluded according to the minister.
UN accuses kyiv and Moscow of “summary executions”
The UN accused, this Friday March 24, the Ukrainian and Russian forces of having committed dozens of summary executions of prisoners of war during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The United Nations also reproaches the exercise of ill-treatment on these prisoners. “We are deeply concerned about the summary execution of 25 Russian prisoners of war and persons hors de combat” as well as that of “15 Ukrainian prisoners of war”, said Matilda Bogner, head of the human rights monitoring mission. United Nations man in Ukraine.
According to her, the UN has documented these executions of Russians by the Ukrainian armed forces, “often” carried out “immediately after capture on the battlefield”. The UN is aware of five investigations carried out by kyiv which implicate 22 victims, but “we are not aware of any prosecution against the perpetrators” of these crimes, she added. Regarding the executions of 15 Ukrainian prisoners of war “shortly after their capture” by the Russian armed forces”, 11 of them were perpetrated by the Russian paramilitary group Wagner, the official further indicated.
Biden speaks on the rapprochement between Moscow and Beijing
“I don’t take China lightly.” It is with these words that US President Joe Biden spoke of the Russian-Chinese rapprochement since Xi Jinping’s visit to Vladimir Putin on March 20 and 21. The Democratic head of state, however, held, from Canada, to temper the ardor attributed to China: “It has been three months now that I have heard that China is going to supply important weapons to Russia… doesn’t mean they won’t, but they haven’t done it yet.” Since the start of the conflict, while the Chinese authorities have shown themselves in support of their Russian counterparts, they have not delivered military equipment to either side.
A French volunteer recently killed in the Bakhmout region
A French volunteer was recently killed in the region of Bakhmout, the abrasive frontline point in eastern Ukraine, the Foreign Ministry confirmed on Friday. “We offer our condolences to his family, the ministry’s cabinet told AFP, in contact with the family. “We recall that Ukraine, in its entire territory, is a war zone. In this context, it is strictly advised not to travel to Ukraine, whatever the reason.”
The regional daily West France reported on March 22 the death of Kevin D., a former humanitarian who left more than a year ago to fight alongside the Ukrainians. The 30-year-old was killed in undetermined circumstances near Bakhmout, where a bloody battle between Russian and Ukrainian forces has been going on for many months. Leroy Merlin
Several French people went to fight in Ukraine, where an international legion under the orders of the army of kyiv gathers foreign fighters. Their number and that of those who were killed are not known.