In his traditional evening speech, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Monday evening the death of 19 people following a missile attack from Russia once morest a residential building in Kharkiv. “This single Russian strike claimed the lives of 19 people. One strike. These savages haven’t stopped sending strikes like this in different parts of our country for 180 days.” said the Ukrainian president.
Who killed Daria Douguine, the daughter of the Russian ultranationalist ideologue Alexandre Douguine, reputed to be close to Vladimir Putin and supporter of the annexation of Ukraine? The FSB has reportedly identified a Ukrainian suspect, born in 1979, whom it accuses of being linked to the Ukrainian special services. Ukraine denies any involvement. Ex-Duma member expelled for anti-Kremlin activities Ilya Ponomarev, points to the National Republican Army, which he describes as an underground group working inside Russia and working to overthrow the Putin regime. As for Vladimir Putin, he describes this death as “crime ignoble, cruel“.
The EU plans to organize a mission “training and supportto the Ukrainian army which would take place in neighboring countries, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, said on Monday.
President Zelensky for his part warned on Sunday evening that there would be no no negotiations with Russia, if the latter carried out the trial of ukrainian fighters in Mariupol. He also warned this weekend that Russia might “do something particularly disgusting” this week in Ukraine. The August 24 will mark both 6 months of the war in Ukraine, and the 31st anniversary of independence of Ukraine following the fall of the Soviet Union.
The authorities of Kiev announced on Sunday the ban of all public gathering from August 22 to 25 in the capital.
On the front line, shelling and fighting were reported by both sides in the areas of Kherson, Zaporizhia and Donetsk. Repeated explosions also took place in Crimea the last days.
The Ukrainian army has acknowledged the death of 9,000 soldiers in six months of war.
Relive our live commentary on the news of the 180th day of war in Ukraine below: