The calls from authorities in the Luhansk and Donetsk people’s republics came as Ukrainian forces continued to expand their gains in recent days, having already pushed Russian troops out of most of the northeastern region of Kharkiv. Journalists’ access to the front line is limited. But there were reports that Ukrainian troops had pushed into the city of Lysychansk in Luhansk region, as well as fighting around the city of Slovyansk in Donetsk region – signs that Russia was in imminent danger of losing territory it previously controlled in the eastern Donbas region. In a statement posted on the Lugansk People’s Republic “public chamber” website, the chamber’s deputy head, Lina Vokalova, called for a public referendum to approve the annexation and said the vote would “fulfill our dream of returning to our homeland. Russian Federation”. A similar message came from the pro-Kremlin puppet authorities in Donetsk. “It is time to erase the non-existent border between our countries, as it has long been erased in our hearts, and hold a referendum on the issue of the DPR’s participation in Russia,” said the head of the Donetsk Public Chamber, Alexander Kofman. Before launching his full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February, Russian President Vladimir Putin had formally recognized the independence of the two regions. Russian officials have also discussed holding referendums in Ukrainian territories they have seized during the war, but many of those plans have been thrown into doubt by Kiev’s recent military gains. In Moscow, some pro-war propagandists pushing for Russia to hit back harder in Ukraine cheered calls for annexation. “Today referendum, tomorrow — recognition as part of the Russian Federation,” wrote Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of the RT television network. “The day after tomorrow — strikes on Russian soil become an all-out war between Ukraine and NATO with Russia, loosening Russia’s hands in every way.” Ukrainian officials accused Russia of “nuclear terrorism” on Monday after a missile reportedly struck just hundreds of meters from the reactors of Ukraine’s second-largest nuclear power plant, disabling three high-voltage power lines and a hydroelectric plant. Energoatom, Ukraine’s national nuclear power company, said a “powerful explosion” occurred about 300 yards from the reactors of the southern Ukrainian nuclear power plant, near the city of Yuzhnoukrainsk, shortly after midnight on Monday, sending shockwaves that destroyed buildings and destroyed more than 100 windows. Details of the missile attack, which Energoatom reported on its Telegram channel, could not be independently verified. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky released a short video of what appeared to be CCTV footage of the strike, along with photos of the damage. “Russia endangers the whole world,” Zelensky wrote in his Telegram post. “We have to stop this before it’s too late.” Russia did not immediately comment on the claim. Fears that Russia’s war in Ukraine could trigger a nuclear disaster have so far focused on the country’s largest nuclear power plant, Zaporizhzhia, where all six reactors have now been shut down. Repeated bombings and fires had disconnected the Zaporizhzhia plant from the national electricity grid, requiring emergency measures to avoid disruption of essential cooling processes. Before the war, Ukraine had four nuclear power plants in operation, which accounted for almost half of the country’s electricity production. A team of inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency visited the Zaporizhia plant this month, and the agency’s director general, Rafael Mariano Grossi, called for a “nuclear safety protection zone” around the facility, which is located on the territory. occupied by Russian forces. On Saturday, Grossi reported that the Zaporizhzhia plant had been reconnected to the national power grid, but that three of the four power lines were still down. “The general situation for the factory located in the middle of a war zone remains precarious,” he said. The southern Ukraine nuclear plant is far from the frontline fighting, about 250 miles west of the Zaporizhia plant, and thus faces somewhat fewer risks. The rocket attack appeared to be part of a barrage of attacks on civilian infrastructure launched by Russia after its messy retreat from the Kharkiv region. What you need to know about Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant Top Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Monday pushed back against fresh allegations of war crimes by Russian troops that have emerged in recent days in Izyum and other Ukrainian towns liberated from Kharkiv. Ukrainian officials have documented evidence of possible atrocities, including murder, sexual assault and torture. “This is the same scenario as in Bucha,” Peskov said in his daily conference call, referring to the Kiev suburb where atrocities were discovered in April after Russian forces were pushed back. “This is a lie,” Peskov continued, adding that Russia “will defend the truth throughout this story.” The gruesome discovery in Izyum of a burial ground of 445 unmarked graves and a mass grave containing the bodies of 17 Ukrainian soldiers has sparked renewed calls to prosecute Russian troops, military commanders and officials for war crimes. Russia’s chaotic retreat from Kharkiv exposed deep weaknesses in its armed forces, with analysts and experts saying it would be difficult if not impossible for Russia to recapture the liberated territories without a full military mobilization and national plan. Recruiting was already a challenge for Moscow, a senior US defense official told reporters on Monday, and Ukraine’s offensive in the east has made young Russian soldiers wary of combat, prompting some refusals. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in accordance with ground rules set by the Pentagon. ‘Look, these are our boys’: Ukrainian troops drive Russian tanks into new frontline Putin has come under increasing pressure for war, including a stunning public rebuke last week from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting in Uzbekistan. At the same summit, Putin acknowledged questions and concerns about the war from Chinese President Xi Jinping. At home, Putin is under pressure from right-wing hawks who demand he hit Ukraine harder and declare a national plan, and from the left by war critics, who seem increasingly willing to risk arrest and prosecution to speak out. . In a surprising development, Alla Pugacheva, 73, a Russian pop icon who rose to fame in the Soviet era and is particularly popular with older people, publicly voiced her opposition to the war on Sunday. In a post on her Instagram, where she has 3.4 million followers, Pugacheva claimed that Russians were dying needlessly for “illusory purposes”. Alex Horton in Washington and Robyn Dixon, Mary Ilyushina and Natalia Abbakumova in Riga, Latvia contributed to this report.
War in Ukraine: What you need to know
The last: Grain shipments from Ukraine are being accelerated under the agreement reached by Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the United Nations in July. Russia’s blockade of Ukraine’s Black Sea ports had sent food prices skyrocketing and raised fears of more famine in the Middle East and Africa. At least 18 ships, including cargoes of wheat, corn and sunflower oil, have departed. The battle: The conflict on the ground continues as Russia uses its heavy artillery advantage to pound Ukrainian forces, which have at times managed to put up stiff resistance. In the south, Ukraine’s hopes rest on the liberation of the Russian-held Kherson region, and eventually Crimea, which Russia seized in 2014. Fears of disaster at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant remain as both sides accuse each other of bombing it. . The weapons: Western arms supplies are helping Ukraine slow Russian advances. US-supplied High Mobility Artillery Missile Systems (HIMARS) allow Ukrainian forces to strike further behind Russian lines against Russian artillery. Russia has used a range of weapons against Ukraine, some of which have drawn the attention and concern of analysts. Photos: Washington Post photographers have been on the ground since the start of the war — here are some of their strongest works. How you can help: Here are ways those in the US can help support the Ukrainian people as well as the donations people have made around the world. Read his full coverage Russia-Ukraine crisis. Are you on Telegram? Subscribe to our channel for updates and exclusive video.
