Ukraine and Russia: what you need to know now

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Russia has carried out artillery and airstrikes in the Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine’s general staff said, where fighting near Europe’s largest nuclear power plant has raised fears of a catastrophic nuclear incident.

STRUGGLE

* Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, has banned public celebrations commemorating Ukraine’s independence from Soviet rule due to the growing threat of attacks.

* Kharkiv and Mykolaiv also imposed restrictions ahead of Ukraine’s 31st independence anniversary on Wednesday.

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* The US Embassy in Kyiv has warned that Russia plans to strike Ukrainian infrastructure in the coming days.

* Russian rockets fired at Nikopol, Krivyi Rih and Synelnykovsky, all close to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, injured at least four people, regional governor Valentyn Reznichenko wrote on Telegram.

* Reuters could not confirm battlefield reports.

DIPLOMACY, ECONOMY

* Russia’s Federal Security Service has accused Ukraine’s secret service of killing Darya Dugina, the daughter of an ultra-nationalist, in a car bombing near Moscow that President Vladimir Putin has called ‘diabolical’ . Ukraine has denied any involvement in the attack.

* Ukraine’s agricultural exports are expected to reach around 4 million tonnes in August, up from 3 million tonnes in July, thanks to the UN-brokered deal that unblocked seaports, a vice president of the Ukrainian Agrarian Council.

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* The Russian Embassy in London called Britain a hypocrite for a statement by its Foreign Office last week that questioned Russia’s « moral right » to sit in the Group of 20 nations.

MILESTONES, TOLL

* This week marks six months since Vladimir Putin ordered tens of thousands of Russian troops into Ukraine for a « special military operation » – an invasion on a scale not seen in Europe since World War II.

* Nearly 9,000 Ukrainian servicemen were killed in the war with Russia, the head of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said.

* The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said 5,587 civilians were killed and 7,890 injured between February 24 and August 21.

QUOTATION

“Of course we are worried. … It’s like sitting on a powder keg,” said Alexander Lifirenko who lives in Enerhodar, a Ukrainian town near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant now under the control of pro-Moscow forces. (Compiled by Himani Sarkar)