Day 182: Ukraine Marks Independence Day; Conflict Ends With Victory Over Russia, Says Zelenskyy
On Wed., as Ukraine marked 31 years of independence from the Soviet Union, and as the country marked six months since the start of the Russian invasion, Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised the courage of his people.
Facts
- On Wed., as Ukraine marked 31 years of independence from the Soviet Union, and as the country marked six months since the start of the Russian invasion, Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised the courage of his people, saying: "During these six months, we changed history, changed the world and changed ourselves."
- In the pre-recorded televised address, Zelenskyy also said Ukraine was "re-born" when Russian tanks rolled in at 4am on Feb. 24 and stated that the country would defend its land "until the end." He vowed to raise the Ukrainian flag over Crimea and the Donbas region again, adding: "What is the end of the war for us? We used to say: peace. Now we say: victory."
- Amid warnings Russia would intensify attacks and possibly strike government buildings in Kyiv, there was an escalated number of overnight cruise missile and rocket attacks on the regions of Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia in the south and Sumy in the north, but no attacks were recorded in the capital on Tues. evening. Three attacks were recorded in northern Kharkiv. No civilian fatalities have been reported at this stage.
- Heavy fighting and artillery fire continued in the Donetsk region of the Donbas, namely on the fronts of Avdiivka, Bakhmut and Kramatorsk. Ukrainian officials reported one civilian had been killed and two injured as a result of Russian shelling in the last 24 hrs. Officials from the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) reported five civilians killed and 14 more injured as a result of Ukrainian shelling.
- Ukrainian shelling also struck the DPR's main administrative building in central Donetsk on Tuesday, local reports confirmed. Elsewhere, Ivan Sushko, a Russian-installed head of the Ukrainian town of Mykhailovka in the Zaporizhzhia region died in hospital of injuries sustained after a bomb detonated under the seat of his car on Wednesday.
- Meanwhile, Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) – the UN's nuclear watchdog – said: "I'm continuing to consult very actively and intensively with all parties," with respect to an IAEA visit to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. "The mission is expected to take place within the next few days if ongoing negotiations succeed."
Sources: Ukrinform, Associated Press, Dan-, and Msn.
Narratives
- Anti-Russia narrative, as provided by The Independent. Six months into the war and Russia's advance can now be measured in metres per week, not miles. Invading forces are sustaining heavy losses and their troops are demoralized in the face of Ukrainian defenders. Russia is fragile and Ukraine is poised to turn the tide of the war.
- Pro-Russia narrative, as provided by Tass. Russia is strictly complying with humanitarian law in the course of its special military operation. It is deliberately slowing down its advance in order to reduce the number of civilian casualties in the war.
