The governor of the Luhansk region – which is almost entirely under Russian control, suggested that Russia was preparing for a new referendum in the newly captured areas.
Written by Manjiri Sachin Chitre | Edited by Swati Bhasin
With the Ukraine-Russia war in its sixth month, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday ruled out talks if Russia proceeded with referendums in occupied areas of the war-torn country. In his latest video address, Zelensky said that Kyiv was holding fast to its position of yielding no territory to Russia and reiterated that they will “not give up anything that is theirs”.
Also read: ‘Ukraine putting civilians at risk’, says Amnesty report; Zelensky hits back
Here are the latest developments:
1. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensy on Sunday in his late-night address said that if Russia continues to hold referendums in occupied areas of Ukraine then there would be no talks with Kyiv or the international allies. “Our country’s position remains what it always has been. We will give up nothing of what is ours. If the occupiers proceed along the path of pseudo-referendums they will close for themselves any chance of talks with Ukraine and the free world, which the Russian side will clearly need at some point,” he said.
2. The Russian forces hold most of the Kherson region in southern Ukraine where the officials in charge have suggested that a referendum on joining Russia could be held within the coming weeks or months.
3. The governor of the Luhansk region – which is almost entirely under Russian control, suggested that Russia was preparing for a new referendum in the newly captured areas. The governor also said that Moscow was offering residents benefits for taking part in it.
Also read: Russian-origin man marries Ukrainian girlfriend in Dharamshala
4. Ukraine on Sunday said that the new Russian shelling had damaged three radiation sensors and hurt a worker at the Zaporizhzhia power plant. Zaporizhzhia is the largest of Ukraine’s four nuclear power plants, providing about half the country’s electricity.
5. Calling Russia’s shelling a “Russian nuclear terror”, Zelensky said that “there is no such nation in the world that could feel safe when a terrorist state fires at a nuclear plant.”
(With inputs from agencies)
Less time to read?
Try Quickreads
-
North Korean Parliament to discuss anti epidemic policy, rural development
North Korea will convene two key meetings, including one to review the country’s anti-epidemic policy, in coming weeks, state media said on Monday, as it claims no new COVID-19 cases since late July. The North Korean Supreme People’s Assembly, the isolated state’s rubber-stamp parliament, will meet on Sept. 7 to discuss law on rural development and organizational matters, according to the official KCNA.
-
Over 600 kids strip searched by London police, mostly black boys: New data
London’s under-fire police force strip-searched more than 600 children over a two-year period, most of them black boys, according to new data released Monday. England’s commissioner for children, Rachel de Souza, said she was “deeply shocked” by the figures after obtaining them from the Metropolitan police. The 15-year-old black schoolgirl was strip-searched by female officers in 2020 after being wrongly suspected of carrying cannabis, despite them being aware she was menstruating.
-
Israel and Palestinian militants declare Gaza truce
The three-day clashes echoed preludes to previous Gaza wars, though they were relatively contained as Hamas, the governing Islamist group in the Gaza Strip and a more powerful force than Iranian-backed Islamic Jihad, had so far stayed out.
-
Five more killed in Gaza amid truce reports: Health ministry
Five more people were killed in Gaza on Sunday evening, the enclave’s health ministry said, amid reports a ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militants may be imminent. “Thirty-six martyrs, among them 11 children and four women, and 311 injured,” the health ministry said, raising the death toll in the Palestinian enclave from 31 since fighting began on Friday.
-
China keeps up pressure on Taiwan with fourth day of drills
China said Sunday it carried out its fourth consecutive day of military drills in the air and sea around Taiwan in the wake of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the self-ruled island, despite international calls to calm the tensions. The People’s Liberation Army said the exercises focused on testing its long-range air and ground strikes. It did not say if it will continue the drills after Sunday.