Ukraine’s Zelenskiy sees damage in recaptured towns; Russia strikes city water system

IZIUM, Ukraine, Sept 15 (Reuters) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy stated cities and villages recaptured from Russian forces had been devastated, whereas a serious city stepped up efforts on Thursday to restore damage to its water system from missile assaults.

Kryvyi Rih, the biggest city in central Ukraine with an estimated pre-war inhabitants of 650,000, was hit by eight cruise missiles on Wednesday, officers stated.

The strikes hit the Karachunov reservoir dam, Zelenskiy stated in a video handle launched early on Thursday. The water system had “no military value” and tons of of hundreds of civilians depend upon it day by day, he stated.

Oleksandr Vilkul, the top of the Krivyi Rih army administration, stated in a publish on Telegram that 112 houses have been flooded however that works to restore the dam on the Inhulets river have been beneath approach and that “flooding was receding”.

Russian forces suffered a shocking reversal this month after Ukrainian troops made a fast armoured thrust in the Kharkiv area in its northeast, forcing a rushed Russian withdrawal.

Zelenskiy on Wednesday made a shock go to to Izium – till 4 days in the past Russia’s primary bastion in the Kharkiv area – the place he watched because the blue-and-yellow Ukrainian flag was raised in entrance of the charred city council constructing.

“Our law enforcers are already receiving evidence of murder, torture, and abductions of people by the occupiers,” he stated, including there was “evidence of genocide against Ukrainians”.

“They only destroyed, only seized, only deported. They left devastated villages, and in some of them there is not a single surviving house,” Zelenskiy added in the video handle.

Russia denies intentionally focusing on civilians, and Reuters couldn’t instantly confirm battlefield reviews. learn extra

Zelenskiy’s video handle was launched after his return to Kyiv from the Kharkiv area and following phrase from his workplace that his automobile had collided with a non-public car in the capital.

“The president was examined by a doctor, no serious injuries were found,” presidential spokesman Serhii Nykyforov stated in a Facebook publish early on Thursday. learn extra

The General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces stated on Thursday that Russian forces had launched assaults on a number of settlements on the Kharkiv frontline in the previous 24 hours.

However, Ukraine’s forces proceed to consolidate their management of the newly liberated areas in the area, Britain’s defence ministry stated in an replace on Thursday.

DIPLOMACY

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping are set to debate Ukraine and Taiwan at a gathering in Uzbekistan on Thursday which the Kremlin stated would maintain “special significance”. learn extra

Ahead of the assembly, the navies of the 2 international locations have been conducting joint tactical manoeuvres and workouts involving artillery and helicopters in the Pacific Ocean. learn extra

Moscow and Beijing declared a “no limits” partnership earlier this 12 months, backing one another over standoffs on Ukraine and Taiwan with a promise to collaborate extra in opposition to the West. learn extra

Also on the diplomatic entrance, the U.N. General Assembly is on Friday attributable to contemplate a proposal for Zelenskiy to deal with the annual gathering of leaders subsequent week with a pre-recorded video. Russia is against Zelenskiy talking. learn extra

Away from Ukraine, Russian authorities are dealing with challenges in different former Soviet states, with lethal combating between Azerbaijan and Armenia and border guard clashes between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. learn extra

Western politicians and army officers have stated it was too early to inform whether or not Ukraine’s current success marked a turning level as a result of Russia had but to totally reply.

“We should avoid euphoria. There is still a lot of work to be done to liberate our lands, and Russia has a large number of weapons,” Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of the nationwide safety and defence council, stated in an internet publish.

Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, in a Twitter publish after the assaults on Kryvyi Rih, stated “Russia is a terrorist state and must be recognised as such”.

In that vein, U.S. senators from Democratic and Republican events launched laws that will designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism. The measure is opposed by President Joe Biden’s administration. learn extra

FEAR LINGERS IN IZIUM

Back in Izium, smashed home windows, pock-marked facades and scorched partitions lined a battle-scarred primary thoroughfare comprised of abandoned meat retailers and pharmacies and ruined magnificence salons. A forlorn handwritten signal on a entrance door learn: ‘People dwell right here’. learn extra

With a pink hood wrapped round her face for heat, Liubov Sinna, 74, stated Izium residents have been nonetheless fearful.

“Because we lived through this whole six months. We sat it out in cellars. We went through everything it is possible to go through. We absolutely cannot say that we feel safe,” she stated.

She stated the city stood on the “gates of the Donbas”, the jap area whose whole seize Putin has talked up as a key warfare goal.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who spoke to Putin over the cellphone this week, stated the Russian president “unfortunately” nonetheless didn’t suppose his invasion was a mistake.

Putin says he needs to make sure Russian safety and shield Russian-speakers in Ukraine. Ukraine and the West accuse Russia of an unprovoked warfare of aggression.

In a transfer that means Putin had wider warfare goals when he ordered troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24, three individuals near the Russian management instructed Reuters that Putin had rejected a provisional take care of Kyiv across the time the warfare started.

They stated the deal would have glad Russia’s demand that Ukraine keep out of the U.S.-led Western army alliance NATO. The Kremlin stated the Reuters report had “absolutely no relation to reality”. It additionally stated Ukraine’s ambitions to affix NATO nonetheless offered a risk to Russia. learn extra

Reporting by Reuters bureaux; writing by Grant McCool and Himani Sarkar; Editing by Cynthia Osterman, Stephen Coates and Gerry Doyle

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.