Day 243: Second Russian Jet Crash in a Week; US Dismisses Russian 'Dirty Bomb' Claims
Facts
- For the second time in a week, a Russian fighter jet has crashed in Russian territory, slamming into residential buildings and igniting a large blaze. Russian officials said Sunday's crash in the Siberian region of Irkutsk killed both pilots on board, but that no civilians were harmed.
- It comes following a crash in the Yeysk region last Monday, which authorities said killed 15 civilians and injured 19. Officials have stated that criminal investigations to determine the causes of both crashes have been opened.
- Meanwhile, after Russian defense minister Sergei Shoigu called counterparts from the US, UK, France, and Turkey over the weekend to allege that Ukraine is preparing to use a "dirty bomb" — a conventional munition with radioactive material — the US has joined other countries in dismissing the claims as unsubstantiated.
- In a joint statement on behalf of the US, UK, and French governments, published on the US State Dept. website on Sunday, the nations said: "Our countries made clear that we all reject Russia’s transparently false allegations that Ukraine is preparing to use a dirty bomb on its own territory. The world would see through any attempt to use this allegation as a pretext for escalation."
- In the southern Kherson region, amid ongoing civilian evacuations and as heavy fighting continues in the north of the region, local officials announced the formation of a territorial defence force to give men who have not evacuated the option to fight in defense of the region. Local officials also alleged that the Kakhovskaya hydropower plant was again struck by Ukrainian rockets, but the claim could not be independently verified.
- Heavy clashes also continued in the Donetsk region, namely near Bakhmut and Avdiivka. Ukrainian officials said seven civilians have been killed and five more injured in the Donetsk region over the past day, adding that a further fatality came in the region of Zaporizhzhia. Six people were reported injured in Dnipropetrovsk while three others were reported injured in Kharkiv.
Sources: New York Post, Guardian, State, Pravda, and Ukrinform.
Narratives
- Anti-Russia narrative, as provided by The Guardian. Now that civilians are being ordered to flee Kherson, it's clear that Russian authorities are losing their grip on the region and don't foresee their return — even Moscow sees that the Ukrainian counteroffensive will inevitably force the occupiers to retreat.
- Pro-Russia narrative, as provided by Tass. Russian forces are maintaining control over the Kherson region and continuing to repel attacks. Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces are incurring heavy losses as they unsuccessfully attempt to advance.