Live: Russia targets Zaporizhzhia region as Kyiv bans Independence Day festivities

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Issued on: 23/08/2022 – 08:10

Russia carried out artillery and air strikes in the Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine’s General Staff said on Tuesday, where fighting near Europe’s largest nuclear power plant has raised fears of a catastrophic nuclear incident. The attacks come ahead of Ukraine’s Independence Day on Wednesday commemorating freedom from Soviet rule, with Kyiv banning public celebrations amid fears of more attacks. Follow our liveblog for all the latest developments. All times are Paris time (GMT+2).

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7:21am: Ukraine says 9,000 of its troops killed since Russian invasion

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has already killed some 9,000 Ukrainian soldiers since it began nearly six months ago, a general said, and the fighting Monday showed no signs that the war is abating.

At a veteran’s event, Ukraine’s military chief, Gen. Valerii Zaluzhnyi, said many of Ukraine’s children need to be taken care of because “their father went to the front line and, perhaps, is one of those almost 9,000 heroes who died”.

In Nikopol, across the river from Ukraine’s main nuclear power plant, Russian shelling wounded four people Monday, an official said. The city on the Dnieper River has faced relentless pounding since July 12 that has damaged 850 buildings and sent about half its population of 100,000 fleeing.

7:04am: Russia targets Zaporizhzhia region as Kyiv bans Independence Day festivities

Russia carried out artillery and air strikes in the Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine’s General Staff said on Tuesday, where fighting near Europe’s largest nuclear power plant has raised fears of a catastrophic nuclear incident.

The attacks come ahead of Ukraine’s Independence Day on Wednesday commemorating freedom from Soviet rule, with Kyiv banning public celebrations citing a threat of more attacks.

The US embassy in Kyiv also warned in a statement of Russian plans to strike civilian and government infrastructure in the coming days.

Near frontlines in the south of the country, Ukraine said Russia fired artillery and conducted air strikes in several towns in the Zaporizhzhia region, were Russian forces captured the nuclear power plant shortly after they invaded on February 24.

Artillery and rocket fire near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear reactor complex, on the south bank of the Dnipro River, has led to calls for the area to be demilitarised.

Read more analysis on the war in Ukraine © Studio graphique France Médias Monde

(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and REUTERS)