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Ukrainian authorities have raised to 40,000 people in areas flooded by the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam on the banks of the Dnieper River in the southern province of Kherson. At least 17,000, who are already being evacuated, lived in the Kiev-controlled area, while around 25,000 resided on the eastern bank of the river, occupied by Russian troops. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says a detonation destroyed the dam from inside the infrastructure. "Russian terrorists will not be able to stop Ukraine with water, missiles or anything," he said. For its part, Moscow has called the attack a "terrorist attack" by the "Kiev regime." U.S. intelligence is inclined to think Russia is behind the attack, according to NBC News, but a White House spokesman later said Washington cannot say "conclusively" what caused the attack.
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- Photo gallery | The destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam in Ukraine, in pictures
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The Country
Zelensky: Dam burst is a 'bomb of massive environmental destruction'
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday called the rupture of the Kakhovka dam in the south of the country a "bomb of massive environmental destruction."
"The whole world will know about this Russian war crime, the crime of ecocide. The deliberate destruction by the Russian occupiers of the dam and other structures of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant is a war crime and a bomb of massive environmental destruction," he said in his daily evening video address to Ukrainians.
Zelenskiy later said the destruction of the dam "will not stop Ukraine and Ukrainians."
"We will continue to liberate all our land. Only the complete liberation of Ukrainian land from the Russian occupiers from the Russian occupiers will ensure that there are no more such terrorist attacks," he continued.
"For the sake of the world's own security, Russia cannot get away with it," said the president, who reported that the Ukrainian prosecutor general has already "appealed to the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to involve international justice in the investigation of the dam explosion." (Reuters)
ACT.6 JUN 2023 - 22:35
The Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, from the bank of the Dnieper River, in March 2022. / LUIS DE VEGA
The cooling pond of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant "has water for several months," according to the UN watchdog
The large cooling pond of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, located on the Ukrainian Kakhovska reservoir, whose dam burst early Tuesday, is full and "has enough water for several months," the United Nations nuclear watchdog said.
Earlier, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, had said his agency would quickly check the level of that pond, which is usually supplied with water from the swamp, whose dam collapsed for reasons that are still unknown, amid cross accusations from Russia and Ukraine. Both countries have blamed each other for blowing up infrastructure. That water is used to cool the reactors and fuel, including the already used fuel of that nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe. (Reuters)
ACT.6 JUN 2023 - 22:11
NGOs Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch condemn dam destruction and call for 'independent investigation'
The NGOs Amnesty International (AI) and Human Rights Watch (HRW) have condemned on Tuesday the environmental and human disaster caused by the destruction of the dam of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant, on the Dnieper River, which has flooded the vicinity of the region between crossed accusations of Russia and Ukraine for the authorship of the attack.
"We are deeply concerned for the safety of hundreds of people affected by the destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric dam in Ukraine's Kherson region and the extensive environmental devastation the floods will cause," Richard Pearshouse, environment and human rights director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement.
Marie Struthers, Amnesty International's Regional Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, called on the international community to work to bring those responsible for this "enormous humanitarian disaster" to justice.
"The rules of humanitarian law specifically protect dams because of the dangers their destruction poses to the civilian population," he said, adding that the attack on Kakhovka is a "catastrophe that endangers the lives, safety and well-being of hundreds of thousands of people."
Struthers has demanded an "independent" and "impartial" investigation into the incident. "We reiterate our call for all those suspected of aggression, war crimes and other crimes under international law to be brought to justice in fair trials and for victims and survivors to receive full reparation." (EUROPA PRESS)
ACT.6 JUN 2023 - 22:00
The United States says it cannot say "conclusively" what was the cause of the destruction of the dam
The White House said Tuesday it could not say conclusively what caused the destruction of the Nova Kakhovska dam in Urania but was studying reports that the explosion was caused by Russia, which has occupied the dam since last year.
Spokesman John Kirby said the destruction of the dam on the Dnieper River, which separates Russian and Ukrainian forces in southern Ukraine, had likely caused "many deaths" and the evacuation of thousands of Ukrainians. Kirby also told reporters that the damage could have a devastating impact on Ukraine's energy security.
"We have seen the reports that Russia was responsible for the explosion at the dam," he said. "We are doing the best we can to evaluate those reports, and we are working with the Ukrainians to gather more information, but we cannot say conclusively what happened."
Kirby later stressed that it was too early to discuss any potential impact on Ukraine's counteroffensive. The spokesman did note that Russian forces had illegally occupied the dam and were controlling it at the time of the explosion. Asked whether the destruction of the dam would constitute a war crime, Kirby said international law prohibited the destruction of civilian infrastructure. (Reuters)
ACT.6 JUN 2023 - 20:45
The Country
Paramilitaries of the far-right Russian Volunteer Corps, on May 24, on the border between Russia and Ukraine. / Europa Press/Contact/Vyacheslav Madiyevskyy / Europa Press/Contact/Vyacheslav
Moscow summons Belgian ambassador over use of Belgian weapons on Russian territory
The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned Belgium's ambassador to Moscow, Mark Michielsen, on Tuesday to protest the use of Belgian-produced weapons by groups of saboteurs who entered Russia's Belgorod region from Ukrainian territory in late May.
"On June 6, the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned the Belgian ambassador in Moscow, Mark Michielsen, to whom a firm protest was expressed regarding the evidence of the use of Belgian-produced weapons by sabotage groups that carried out terrorist attacks on the territory of the Belgorod region," Russian diplomacy indicated.
The Russian side also "called on Brussels not to close its eyes to the multiplied evidence of the Kiev regime's support for terrorists, who target Russia's civilian population and infrastructure," the ministry added.
The American newspaper The Wall Street Journal published photographs and videos of fighters of the far-right groups Freedom Legion for Russia and the Russian Volunteer Corps, which oppose the government of Vladimir Putin, during a raid in the Russian border region of Belgorod, on May 22, in which they appeared with Belgian-made Scar assault rifles. (Efe)
ACT.6 JUN 2023 - 20:29
The Country
What has happened in the last few hours
These are the most important news of the war at 20.00 this Tuesday, on the 468th day since the invasion of Ukraine by Russia:
Kiev estimates that more than 40,000 people will be flooded by the destruction of the dam. The partial destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam in southern Ukraine, of which Moscow and Kiev accuse each other, caused flooding on Tuesday in a score of towns and forced the evacuation of thousands of people. "So far, 24 localities in Ukraine have been flooded," Interior Minister Igor Klimenko said. More than 40,000 people could be in flooded areas. Ukrainian authorities evacuate more than 17,000 people. Unfortunately, more than 25,000 civilians are in the territory under Russian control," Ukrainian prosecutor Andrii Kostin said on Twitter.
U.S. intelligence believes Russia is behind the dam blast, according to NBC News. U.S. intelligence services point to Russia being behind the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka Dam in Ukraine, NBC News reported Tuesday, citing two U.S. officials and another Westerner.
President Zelenskiy raises to 70 flooded villages and predicts "serious problems" with drinking water. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday that the consequences of the blowing up of the Nova Kakhovka dam this morning, which he attributed to Russian forces in the south of the country, will be evident within a week and raised up to 70 villages flooded by the destruction of the dam.
Russia calls the dam explosion a "terrorist attack" by the "Kiev regime." The Russian Foreign Ministry this afternoon called the explosion of the Nova Kakhovka dam a deliberate "terrorist attack" against a civilian facility carried out by Ukraine. What happened is a terrorist attack directed against an infrastructural target of strict civilian purposes. It was planned in advance and intentionally by the Kiev regime within the framework of the so-called 'counteroffensive' of the Ukrainian army," Russian diplomacy denounced in a statement.
The United States learned of Ukrainian plans to attack the Nord Stream gas pipeline before it was sabotaged, according to The Washington Post. Three months before someone sabotaged on September 26, 2022 the Nord Stream natural gas pipeline, which transported that hydrocarbon from Russia to Germany, the Joe Biden Administration learned from a close ally that the Ukrainian military had planned a covert attack on the submarine network, using a small team of divers who reported directly to the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. according to information published Tuesday by The Washington Post.
Satellite images show damage to the Nova Kakhovka dam before the collapse. Satellite images released in recent hours by the US company Maxar, based in Colorado, show that the dam located in the town of Nova Kakhovka had suffered damage before its collapse on Tuesday morning. A photograph recorded by Maxar's satellites dated June 5, 2023, shows the destruction of a segment of one of the tracks surrounding the hydroelectric plant's facilities. In the snapshot captured by the satellite you can see that the road has lost a small part, under one of the two cranes and next to the building that houses the turbines.
ACT.6 JUN 2023 - 21:13
Russia calls dam explosion a "terrorist attack" by the "Kiev regime"
The Russian Foreign Ministry this afternoon described the explosion of the Nova Kakhovka dam as a deliberate "terrorist attack" against a civilian installation carried out by Ukraine.
"Lo ocurrido es un atentado terrorista dirigido contra un objetivo infraestructural de estrictos propósitos civiles. Fue planificado de antemano y de modo intencional por parte del régimen de Kiev en el marco de la llamada 'contraofensiva' del Ejército ucranio", denunció la diplomacia rusa en un comunicado.
Según el Ministerio ruso, "el régimen de Kiev no solo sometió a bombardeos masivos la central hidroeléctrica de Kajovka, sino que elevó premeditadamente el nivel de agua en la presa hasta valores críticos, al abrir las esclusas de la hidroeléctrica de Dniepropetrovsk".
Moscú condenó la destrucción de la presa, "que condujo a una catástrofe humana y ecológica de envergadura".
"Este sabotaje del régimen de Kiev ha causado un daño colosal a la agricultura de la región y el ecosistema del estuario del Dniéper. A consecuencia de la caída del nivel de la presa de Kajovka se dificultará el abastecimiento de agua de Crimea [la península ucrania anexionada ilegalmente por Moscú en 2014] y el riego de los cultivos de la región de Jersón", añadió la diplomacia rusa.
La parte rusa "promoverá el análisis de este crimen del régimen de Kiev en el Consejo de Seguridad de la ONU, los órganos de la OSCE y otras organizaciones internacionales". (Efe)
ACT.6 JUN 2023 - 19:37
El País
La presidenta de la Comisión, Von der Leyen, dice que Rusia "tendrá que pagar por los crímenes de guerra cometidos en Ucrania"
La presidenta de la Comisión Europea, Ursula von der Leyen, afirmó este martes por la tarde en un hilo de Twitter que "Rusia tendrá que pagar por los crímenes de guerra cometidos en Ucrania". La destrucción de la presa, prosigue Von der Leyen, ha sido "un ataque escandaloso a la infraestructura civil y pone en riesgo a miles de personas en la región de Jersón". Con este mensaje, la presidenta de la Comisión parece asumir la autoría rusa de la supuesta voladura del dique del embalse de Kajovka este martes de madrugada. Tanto Kiev como Moscú se han culpado mutuamente de la destrucción de la presa.
"Europa está movilizando apoyo a través de nuestro mecanismo de protección civil", precisó Von der Leyen, que detalló después en qué consiste ese apoyo.
"Estamos coordinándonos con los Estados miembros para entregar rápidamente bombas de agua sucia, mangueras antiincendios, estaciones móviles de purificación de agua y embarcaciones".
El mensaje concluye asegurando que la UE estará "junto a Ucrania todo el tiempo que sea necesario".
ACT.6 JUN 2023 - 19:21
La inteligencia estadounidense cree que Rusia está detrás de la voladura de la presa, según NBC News
Los servicios de inteligencia estadounidenses apuntan a que Rusia está detrás de la destrucción de la presa de Nova Kajovka en Ucrania, informó la cadena NBC News este martes, citando a dos funcionarios estadounidenses y otro occidental.
Según el mismo canal de televisión, la Administración del presidente Joe Biden estaba trabajando ya para desclasificar parte de la información en su poder y compartirla este martes por la tarde.
El funcionario occidental citado por NBC News afirmó, por su parte, que parece probable que el derrumbe de la presa y de la carretera que discurría de un lado a otro del dique dificulte a las fuerzas ucranias cruzar el río Dniéper y alcanzar su orilla oriental, bajo control de las fuerzas del Kremlin. Ese enorme curso de agua separa a las fuerzas ucranias y rusas y, según ese análisis, la voladura de la presa sería un escollo más para las fuerzas ucranias y su esperada contraofensiva en el sur del país. (Reuters / EL PAÍS)
ACT.6 JUN 2023 - 19:04
El presidente Zelenki, en la reunión de este martes del Consejo Nacional de Seguridad y Defensa, en una imagen cedida por Kiev. / UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SER / EFE
El presidente Zelenski eleva a hasta 70 los pueblos inundados y pronostica "graves problemas" con el agua potable
El presidente ucranio, Volodímir Zelenski, afirmó este martes que las consecuencias de la voladura de la presa de Nova Kajovka esta madrugada, que atribuyó a las fuerzas rusas en el sur del país, quedarán patentes dentro de una semana y elevó hasta a 70 los pueblos inundados por la destrucción del dique.
"Habrá grandes problemas con el agua potable, incluso donde no haya inundaciones. En toda la región, tanto en Dnipropetrovsk como en Zaporiyia, así como en Jersón", dijo Zelenski en una rueda de prensa en Kiev, en declaraciones citadas por la agencia "Ukrinform".
"Podremos comprender las consecuencias de la tragedia en aproximadamente una semana. Cuando bajen las aguas, estará claro qué ha quedado (en las zonas arrasadas) y qué pasará a continuación", agregó.
Zelenski reiteró que los servicios de información ucranios disponían de indicios de que las fuerzas rusas, en control de la presa de Nova Kajovka, habían colocado minas en el dique sobre el río Dniéper con la intención de volarlo, y que Kiev era consciente del riesgo, del que había informado a sus aliados.
El presidente ucranio agregó que los diplomáticos de su país buscarán ahora obtener una reacción de países "que siempre prestan mucha atención a los problemas y desafíos ambientales" y que en el curso de la guerra han adoptado una "posición mediadora"."De verdad que me gustaría una reacción de América Latina y de Asia", indicó.
Según las autoridades ucranias, la destrucción del embalse pone en riesgo las cosechas en las regiones de Jersón, Zaporiyia y Dnipropetrovsk, dependientes del embalse de Kajovka para el regadío. La explosión de la presa ha provocado además el vertido de cientos de toneladas de sustancias contaminantes al río Dniéper. (Efe)
ACT.6 JUN 2023 - 19:23
El País
La administración títere de Rusia en Crimea asegura que la península tiene agua potable "más que suficiente"
Las autoridades impuestas por Moscú en Crimea, la península ucrania anexionada ilegalmente por Rusia en 2014, dijeron a la agencia gubernamental rusa Sputnik que Crimea “no se verá afectada por las inundaciones” y que el suministro de agua potable es “más que suficiente” a pesar de la rotura de la presa de Nova Kajovka, cuyo embalse es uno de los que surte de agua a la península.
El portavoz del Kremlin, Dmitri Péskov, había acusado horas antes a Kiev, sin aportar pruebas, de haber saboteado la presa de Nova Kajovka con el fin de cortar el abastecimiento de agua de Crimea y distraer la atención de una contraofensiva "vacilante" contra las fuerzas rusas.
El jefe regional impuesto por Moscú, Serguéi Aksiónov, sí precisó en Telegram que la toma de agua del Canal de Crimea del Norte, por el que la ciudad obtiene ese líquido del río Dniéper y sus embalses, podría tener un caudal menor a causa de la rotura de la presa que la nota de la agencia rusa atribuye “a un bombardeo ucranio”. Este responsable de la administración títere de Moscú señaló que los embalses de Crimea están actualmente llenos en un 80% y que hay agua potable más que suficiente
ACT.6 JUN 2023 - 18:30
Manuel Altozano
Claves | ¿Provocará la destrucción de la presa un desastre medioambiental y humanitario?
El nivel del agua en Nova Kajovka (en la parte controlada por Rusia) había crecido pocas horas después de la explosión en 10 metros, según el alcalde de la localidad impuesto por Moscú, que ha asegurado que el incremento esperado era de dos metros más. “El agua continúa subiendo. Estamos evacuando a los civiles de las zonas inundadas para evitar pérdidas humanas. No hay pánico en la ciudad”, afirmó Vladímir Leontyev, informa Reuters. La ciudad todavía tiene suministro eléctrico, pero otros dos asentamientos aguas abajo lo habían perdido pasadas las 8.00. Se espera que el agua siga subiendo durante las próximas 72 horas, cuando se podrá comenzar con las labores de limpieza.
Miles de personas a ambos lados del río se verán afectadas por el derrumbe de la presa. En el margen controlado por Kiev, también han comenzado ya las labores de evacuación desde Nova Kajovka hasta Jersón, unos 60 kilómetros aguas abajo y ya en la desembocadura. En total, unos 22.000 vecinos de 14 poblaciones de la zona ocupada por Rusia están en peligro, según las autoridades de ocupación. El Gobierno de Ucrania ha asegurado que el riesgo de inundación afecta a un total de 80 poblaciones.
El impacto ecológico en el ecosistema también puede ser muy importante. La empresa sueca Dämmningsverket publicó en octubre de 2022 una simulación por ordenador de cuáles serían las consecuencias de que se destruyan todas las compuertas de la presa. Dämmningsverket estimaba que el peor golpe se lo llevaría la ciudad de Jersón, con una elevación del nivel del agua de hasta cinco metros.
Puedes leer aquí todas las claves.
ACT.6 JUN 2023 - 18:15
Finlandia expulsará a nueve diplomáticos rusos por espionaje
Finlandia expulsará a nueve diplomáticos de la Embajada rusa en Helsinki, acusándolos de efectuar labores de espionaje, informó el martes la oficina del presidente finlandés.
“Sus acciones son contrarias a la Convención de Viena sobre relaciones diplomáticas", dijo la oficina del presidente en un comunicado, añadiendo que ya se ha informado al embajador ruso de las expulsiones.
El pasado martes, Moscú notificó a Finlandia la retirada de los permisos a dos consulados de ese país en Murmansk y Petrozavodsk, en el noroeste de Rusia, así como el cierre de la cancillería de la Embajada rusa en la ciudad finlandesa de Lapeenranta, a 30 kilómetros de la frontera entre ambos países.
Esta decisión “se debe al rumbo de confrontación seguido por Finlandia en relación con Rusia, que ha causado graves perjuicios a las relaciones ruso-finlandesas”, señaló en un comunicado el Ministerio de Exteriores ruso. Finlandia “ha abandonado la tradicional política de no participación en alianzas militares y se ha unido al bloque de la OTAN”, añadió. El país nórdico ingresó en la Alianza Atlántica el pasado mes de abril.
El comunicado ruso mencionó también la decisión de las autoridades finlandesas de prohibir la entrada al país de rusos con visados turísticos Schengen.
Noruega y Suecia, vecinos nórdicos de Finlandia, también han expulsado a diplomáticos rusos en los últimos meses por considerar que en realidad eran espías. Moscú ha negado que sus diplomáticos participaran en actividades indebidas, y ha respondido expulsando a su vez a diplomáticos noruegos y suecos. (Reuters)
ACT.6 JUN 2023 - 18:04
El secretario general de la ONU describe la destrucción de la presa como una "consecuencia" de la invasión rusa
El secretario general de la ONU, António Guterres, describió este martes la destrucción de la presa de Nova Kajovka en Ucrania como una "consecuencia" de la invasión rusa
“Una cosa está clara, esta es otra consecuencia devastadora de la invasión rusa de Ucrania. Los ataques contra civiles e infraestructuras civiles críticas deben cesar. Debemos actuar para garantizar la rendición de cuentas y el respeto del Derecho Internacional Humanitario", prosiguió en una declaración ante los periodistas.
"Al menos 16.000 personas han perdido ya sus hogares, y el suministro de agua potable segura y limpia está en peligro para muchos miles más", afirmó. También deploró la “monumental catástrofe humanitaria, económica y ecológica", que representa la destrucción del dique.
Tanto Ucrania como Rusia han pedido una reunión del Consejo de Seguridad de la ONU para abordar este suceso. (Reuters)
ACT.6 JUN 2023 - 17:56
Silvia Ayuso
El Consejo de Europa advierte a Rusia de su “completa responsabilidad” ante ataques a objetivos civiles ucranios
El Consejo de Europa se ha sumado a las condenas internacionales por la destrucción de la presa ucrania de Nova Kajovka y ha advertido a Rusia de que los ataques contra infraestructuras civiles también constituyen crímenes de guerra por los que Moscú deberá responder un día.
"The Nova Kakhovka dam has been under occupation since the early days of Russia's brutal, unjustified and unprovoked large-scale aggression against Ukraine. Russia bears full responsibility for violations of international humanitarian law and war crimes, including attacks on civilian and critical infrastructure," the President of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, Latvian Edgars Rinkevics, the President of the Parliamentary Assembly, Tiny Kix, and the Secretary General of the Council of Europe warned in a joint statement. Marija Pejcinovic Buric. The Strasbourg-based agency has described the destruction of the dam as an "irresponsible act" that threatens to provoke "another senseless humanitarian crisis" by the forced displacement of the neighboring population to the attacked dam, and that could also have "potentially dangerous consequences on the environment, energy security and nuclear beyond Ukraine". he recalled.
ACT.6 JUN 2023 - 17:49
The Country
The United States learned of Ukrainian plans to attack the Nord Stream gas pipeline, according to 'The Washington Post'
Three months before someone sabotaged on September 26, 2022 the Nord Stream natural gas pipeline, which transported that hydrocarbon from Russia to Germany, the Joe Biden Administration learned from a close ally that the Ukrainian military had planned a covert attack on the submarine network, using a small team of divers who reported directly to the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. according to information published Tuesday by The Washington Post.
The details about this plan revealed by the American newspaper were collected by a European intelligence service, which the newspaper does not identify, and shared with the CIA in June 2022. Those reports, according to the Post, "provide some of the most specific evidence to date linking the Ukrainian government to the possible attack in the Baltic Sea." Washington initially attributed that sabotage to Russia, although over time it qualified that accusation. The Biden administration then went on to claim that it would "get to the bottom of this matter," without so far having disclosed who was behind the possible attack.
The American newspaper agreed to the report that the European intelligence services shared with the CIA thanks to the leak of thousands of confidential documents on the Discord platform by Jack Teixeira, a member of the US National Guard, who shared those papers with other members of that chat. The Washington Post obtained a copy of the confidential Nord Stream document from one of Teixeira's online friends.
The document, the article notes, includes "highly specific details, including the number of operatives and methods of attack, which show that for nearly a year Western allies had a basis to suspect Kiev in sabotage. That suspicion has been reinforced in recent months, when investigators from the German security forces discovered evidence about the attack that bears striking similarities to what European services say Ukraine was planning.
ACT.6 JUN 2023 - 21:15
Kiev estimates that more than 40,000 people will be in areas flooded by the destruction of the dam
The partial destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam in southern Ukraine, of which Moscow and Kiev accuse each other, caused flooding on Tuesday in a score of towns and forced the evacuation of thousands of people.
"So far, 24 localities in Ukraine have been flooded," Interior Minister Igor Klimenko said.
"More than 40,000 people could be in flooded areas. Ukrainian authorities evacuate more than 17,000 people. Unfortunately, more than 25,000 civilians are in the territory under Russian control," Ukrainian prosecutor Andrii Kostin said on Twitter.
The dam's hydroelectric power plant, conquered by the Russians at the beginning of their offensive in Ukraine more than a year ago, is also "completely destroyed," the head of Ukraine's hydropower operator, Ukrhydroenergo, announced.
For his part, a senior official installed by the Russians in the part of the Kherson region (south) under their control, announced the evacuation of about 900 people from the occupied areas near the Dnieper River. (Afp)
ACT.6 JUN 2023 - 17:16
The Country
Zelenski reiterates before Pope Francis' mediator that peace depends on a total Russian withdrawal from Ukraine
Pope Francis' envoy to Ukraine to mediate peace with Russia, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, met Tuesday in Kiev with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who reaffirmed that he will not accept any cessation of hostilities that does not go through the Russian withdrawal from its territories.
"The enemy would take advantage of a pause to reinforce its capabilities and launch another offensive," Zelenskiy said in his meeting with Cardinal Zuppi, before whom he warned that this situation would bring with it "a new wave of crimes and terrorism" on the part of Russia.
Zelenskiy insisted to the Vatican mediator that "Russia must withdraw with all its troops from the internationally recognized Ukrainian borders," according to a statement about the meeting published by the Ukrainian presidential office.
In their meeting on Tuesday, Zelenski also condemned the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant in southern Ukraine, which has caused a natural and human catastrophe in the area and is forcing the evacuation of thousands of people.
According to Ukraine's own presidential office, Zuppi conveyed to Zelenskiy Pope Francis' solidarity with the Ukrainian people and his readiness to seek formulas for the release of Ukrainian prisoners of war, the return of children deported by Russia and "the restoration of justice." (Efe)
ACT.6 JUN 2023 - 16:51
The Country
Russian Defense Minister Says Ukrainian Counteroffensive Has Failed with 'Huge Losses'
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Tuesday, in statements collected by the state agency TASS, that the Ukrainian counteroffensive has failed in the three days that, he said, it lasts. Shoigu raised the alleged losses of the Ukrainian Armed Forces "in all directions" during that period to 3,715 military personnel and 52 tanks.
"For three days, the Ukrainian regime launched a long-promised offensive in different sectors of the front, concentrating a large amount of equipment and manpower for that purpose. The enemy [Ukraine] did not succeed and suffered significant losses," he said.
According to Shoigu, only on June 5, the Kiev regime attempted a seven-way offensive with five brigades. "[The Ukrainian army] was stopped, suffered even more significant losses: more than 1,600 military personnel, 28 tanks, including 8 Leopard and 3 AMX-10 wheeled tanks, 136 units of other military equipment, including 79 foreigners," the minister said.
In total, adding up the various losses, Shoigu raised the number of casualties to 3,715 soldiers.
ACT.6 JUN 2023 - 16:38
Manuel Altozano
Keys | How will it affect the water supply in Crimea?
The destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam will particularly affect Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014. The occupation governor of that territory has warned of the risk that the northern Crimean canal, which supplies 85% of that territory from the Dnieper, may fall as a result of the blowing up of the infrastructure, which would cause shortages among the population and problems in crops north of the peninsula.
After the annexation by Russia nine years ago, the Kiev government has repeatedly blocked the water supply, causing cuts in the supply, according to Reuters. Russia only guaranteed it again after the invasion.
You can read all the keys here.
ACT.6 JUN 2023 - 16:30
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