Day 170 Roundup: Zelenskyy Condemns Military Leaks; Fresh Attacks on Nuclear Power Plant
In his nightly address on Thurs., Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a stern word to officials from his government, stating that those who divulge military tactics and information to the media were being "frankly irresponsible."
Facts
- In his nightly address on Thurs., Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a stern word to officials from his government, stating that those who divulge military tactics and information to the media were being "frankly irresponsible." He said: "War is definitely not the time for vanity and loud statements. The less concrete details you give about our defense plans, the better it will be for the implementation of those defense plans."
- The statement comes after a series of unnamed Ukrainian officials spoke to Western reporters and stated that Ukrainian forces had a part to play in the blasts that rocked the Russian air base of Saky in Crimea on Tuesday. Kyiv officially denied attacking the air base, but satellite imagery later confirmed that at least eight Russian war planes were damaged or destroyed in the incident. One person was killed and 14 more were injured.
- Meanwhile, hours before the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, addressed an emergency meeting of the UN's Security Council on Thurs., fresh rocket attacks struck the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine's south, held by Russian forces since Mar. 4. Russia and Ukraine again traded blame for the attacks.
- While Grossi called for immediate access to IAEA inspectors, UN head António Guterres, echoed by the US, called for a demilitarized zone around the power plant. Russia's ambassador to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, said demilitarization could leave the plant vulnerable to "provocations" and "terrorist attacks" which he said Russia must protect against. He added that Guterres should clarify what is meant by a "demilitarization perimeter."
- In the meantime, Western nations from the US-led Ukraine Defense Contact Group pledged a further €1.5B ($1.5B) in military aid to Ukraine on Thursday. While funding came from the UK, Norway and Denmark, countries including Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic reportedly signalled they'd help in the production of artillery and ammunition for Ukraine's cause.
- On the ground, heavy Russian shelling was reported in the regions of Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. Ukrainian officials reported that seven civilians had been killed in the Donetsk region in the last 24 hrs, but there were no reports of further casualties at this stage.
Sources: Pravda, Understanding War, Daily Mail, RTE, and Associated Press.
Narratives
- Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by The Atlantic. Making sure Ukraine continues to be well-armed is the only way to fend off Putin and Russia in this unprovoked war of aggression. The US and NATO must not simply offer up their latest and most hi-tech weapons however; combat is about supply line, so the West must ensure basic equipment and ammunition are kept flowing as needed.
- Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by AntiWar. Multi-billion dollar weapons packages will make little difference in the outcome of the war. The US has been meddling in Ukraine since the end of the Cold War and what we're witnessing is a geopolitical Ponzi scheme to benefit those aligned with the military-industrial complex. War is a lucrative racket.
