Ukraine-Russia war live: Moscow blames US for Crimea strike as UN warns against attacks near nuclear plant

4 months ago 9

Vladimir Putin’s officials have blamed the US for a Ukrainian attack on the annexed territory of the Crimean peninsula’s Sevastopol with reportedly five US-given missiles. The attack killed four and injured more than 150 people.

“Responsibility for the deliberate missile attack on the civilians of Sevastopol is borne above all by Washington, which supplied these weapons to Ukraine, and by the Kyiv regime, from whose territory this strike was carried out,” the Russian defence ministry said.

It claimed that four of the US-delivered Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles, equipped with cluster warheads, were shot down by air defence systems and the ammunition of a fifth had detonated in mid-air.

Earlier this month, the Biden administration gave a nod to Ukraine for using the longer range missiles to hit territories inside Russia in response to an escalating offensive by Russian troops which targeted Ukrainian cities.

This comes as the UN nuclear watchdog called for an immediate halt to attacks on a Ukrainian town near the Russia-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant after drone strikes this week hit two electricity substations serving the area.

Russia says US responsible for deadly attack on Crimea

The Russian defence ministry has blamed the United States for a Ukrainian attack on the Russian-annexed Crimean peninsula with five US-supplied missiles that killed four people, including two children, and injured 151 more.

Russian officials have claimed US specialists had set the missiles’ flight coordinates on the basis of information from US spy satellites, meaning Washington was directly responsible.

Russia had illegally annexed Crimea in 2014 and now views the Black Sea peninsula it as a strategically important part of its territory, though most of the world considers it a sovereign and integral territory of Ukraine.

Arpan Rai24 June 2024 05:30

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North Korea offended at increased support for Ukraine from US: ‘New world war'

A top North Korean military official warned of a “new world war” and criticised the United States over its expanding military assistance to Ukraine, reported state media KCNA. The Kim Jong-un administration’s top military official underlined North Korea’s support for Vladimir Putin in the war.

Pak Jong Chon, one of North Korea’s top military officials, said Russia has the “right to opt for any kind of retaliatory strike” in a statement carried by KCNA on Monday, adding if Washington kept pushing Ukraine to a “proxy war” against Russia, it could provoke a stronger response from Moscow, and a “new world war”.

He referred to comments by the Pentagon last week that Ukrainian forces can use US-supplied weapons to strike Russian forces anywhere across the border into Russia.

The remarks come even as Russia may have received about 1.6 million artillery shells from North Korea between August last year to January, the Washington Post reported on Saturday. The data from a US security nonprofit C4ADS that shows 74,000 metric tons of explosives moved from Russia’s far east ports to other sites mainly along the borders near Ukraine.

Mr Pak did not acknowledge the military aid given to Russia by North Korea to hit a much smaller Ukraine.

Senior officials of South Korea, the US and Japan condemned “in the strongest possible terms” deepening military cooperation between North Korea and Russia in a joint statement released by Seoul’s foreign ministry on Monday.

A pact signed between Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during the Russian leader’s visit to Pyongyang last week commits each side to provide immediate military assistance to the other in the event of armed aggression against either one of them.

Putin’s mutual defence agreement with North Korea has the potential to create friction with China, which has long been the isolated state’s main ally, the top US military officer said on Sunday.

Analysts say that pact would lay the framework for arms trade between the two countries and facilitate their anti-U.S. and anti-West coalition.

Additionally, North Korea will also send construction and engineering forces to Russia-occupied territories of Ukraine as early as next month for rebuilding work, a South Korean cable TV network TV Chosun reported earlier, citing a South Korean government official.

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WATCH: Buildings reduced to rubble in Russian bombing on Kharkiv

Kharkiv buildings were reduced to rubble and at least three people were killed in a Russian bombing attack on Ukraine’s second city on Saturday, Volodymyr Zelensky said.

One of four aerial bombs hit a five-story residential building, according to officials.

At least 41 people were being treated in hospital, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said.

The Ukrainian president urged Ukraine’s allies to bolster its air defences in an address after the attack.

In his nightly video address, Mr Zelensky added that Russian forces had used more than 2,400 guided bombs on Ukrainian targets in June alone, with about 700 aimed at Kharkiv.

Buildings reduced to rubble in Russian bombing attack on Kharkiv

Kharkiv buildings were reduced to rubble and at least three people were killed in a Russian bombing attack on Ukraine’s second city, on Saturday afternoon (22 June), Volodymyr Zelensky said. One of four aerial bombs hit a five-story residential building, according to officials. Fourty-one people were being treated in hospital, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said. The Ukrainian president urged Ukraine's allies to bolster its air defences in an address after the attack. In his nightly video address, Mr Zelensky added that Russian forces had used more than 2,400 guided bombs on Ukrainian targets in June alone, with about 700 aimed at Kharkiv.

Arpan Rai24 June 2024 03:58

UN nuclear body warns against attacks on town near nuke facility

The UN’s nuclear watchdog has sought a halt to attacks on Enerhodar, a town near the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station after drone strikes this week hit two electricity substations serving the area.

Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, made no reference to Ukraine and said the incidents had no affect on the Zaporizhzhia plant’s operations.

But he said the attacks had to stop.

“Whoever is behind this, it must stop. Drone usage against the plant and its vicinity is becoming increasingly more frequent,” Mr Grossi said in a statement on the IAEA website.

“This is completely unacceptable and it runs counter to the safety pillars and concrete principles which have been accepted unanimously.”

The plant’s Russian-installed officials accused Ukraine of staging two drone strikes that destroyed one substation, damaged another and cut power to residents for a time.

Power had been cut to Enerhodar, a few kilometres from the plant, for 16 hours, he said. But neither of the attacks, which occurred on Wednesday and Friday, had any impact on the power lines that the nuclear plant uses to keep operating.

Arpan Rai24 June 2024 03:55

We have some more footage of the Russian attack on Kharkiv

Below we have some more footage from the latest Russian glide bomb attack on Kharkiv.

Tom Watling24 June 2024 03:00

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