According to Ukrainian sources, after the partial withdrawal of its own troops, Russia fired on the neighboring country's critical infrastructure. The eastern Ukrainian regions of Kharkiv and Donetsk are completely without electricity, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Twitter on Sunday evening. There were also reports of problems with the electricity and water supply from other areas of the country.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian General Staff reported that Russian troops were fleeing not only from Kharkiv, but also from the southern Cherson region. In Germany there are calls for further military aid for the attacked country so that it can also take back other occupied areas.
"Russian terrorists remain terrorists," Zelenskyy wrote. His adviser Mykhailo Podoliak said that one of the largest thermal power plants in the country was hit in Kharkiv. In the meantime, there was an air alert throughout Ukraine in the evening. Some residents reported the sound of the explosion on social media. Later, at least the authorities in the Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk and Poltava regions announced that the power supply had been restored there.
After their defeat in Kharkiv, Russian troops are also withdrawing from parts of the southern Cherson region, according to information from Kyiv. In some places, the occupiers have already left their positions there, the Ukrainian general staff said. This information could not be independently verified.
Under pressure from Ukrainian counter-offensives, Russia's defense ministry announced the withdrawal of its own troops from the Kharkiv region over the weekend, more than six months after the start of the war. The withdrawal was officially justified with a strategic "regrouping" of the units.
On the 200th day of the war, Zelenskyy thanked his compatriots for defending their homeland. "We have achieved a lot in these 200 days, but the most important and therefore the most difficult thing is still ahead of us," said Selenskyj in his video speech on Monday night. Among other things, he thanked the Ukrainian ground forces, the air force, the naval forces - and everyone who was writing "the history of independence, the history of victory, the history of Ukraine" these days.
In view of Kiev's recent successes, leading politicians from the Ampel parties in the Bundestag called for more support for the Ukrainian military offensive. "Germany must immediately do its part in Ukraine's successes and deliver protected vehicles, the Marder infantry fighting vehicle and the Leopard 2 main battle tank," said the chair of the Defense Committee, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, to the German Press Agency. SPD leader Lars Klingbeil at least did not close his eyes to this and emphasized the need for international coordination.
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron called Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin to discuss the ongoing critical situation at the Russian-occupied Ukrainian nuclear power plant Zaporizhia. According to a Kremlin statement, Putin has called for international action on Ukraine to stop its attacks on the plant. Macron, in turn, emphasized that the Russian occupation was the reason for the dangerous situation at the nuclear power plant, the Èlyséepalast said. He demanded the withdrawal of Russian troops. Ukraine has repeatedly accused Russia of shelling the facility itself.
It also became known on Sunday that the largest nuclear power plant in Europe had to be shut down completely. According to the Ukrainian nuclear authority Enerhoatom, all connection lines to the power grid were temporarily interrupted due to shelling. The Russian side also confirmed the shutdown of the power plant, on the site of which two employees of the IAEA are still monitoring the situation.
As of this Monday, Russian citizens will no longer benefit from the simplified issuing of visas for trips to Germany and other countries in the Schengen area. The agreement concluded between the EU and Russia to facilitate the issuing of visas has now been completely suspended for Russian citizens following a decision by the EU states last week.
