Ukraine war: Zelensky warns of ‘ugly’ Russian attack ahead of Independence Day; more shelling at nuclear plant

August 24 marks the 31st anniversary of independence from Soviet rule, and six months since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began

A Russian missile hit a residential area of a southern Ukrainian town not far from a nuclear power station, wounding 12 civilians

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President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday warned Ukrainians to be vigilant in the coming week as they prepare to celebrate their Independence Day, as fresh blasts hit Crimea and a missile wounded 12 civilians near a nuclear power plant. EPA-EFE

Published: 8:34am, 21 Aug 2022Updated: 8:08pm, 21 Aug 2022

President Volodymyr Zelensky urged vigilance ahead of Wednesday’s celebrations of 31 years of Ukraine’s independence from Soviet rule, as shells rained down near Europe’s biggest nuclear plant and Russian forces struck in the south and east.

Ukrainians must not allow Moscow to “spread despondency and fear” ahead of the August 24 events, which also mark six months since Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Zelensky said in his nightly video address on Saturday.

“We must all be aware that this week Russia could try to do something particularly ugly, something particularly vicious,” Zelensky said.

In Russia, the daughter of an ultranationalist Russian ideologue who advocates Russia absorbing Ukraine was killed in a suspected car bomb attack outside Moscow on Saturday evening, Russian state investigators said on Sunday.

They said Darya Dugina, daughter of prominent ideologue Alexander Dugin, was killed after a suspected explosive device detonated on the Toyota Land Cruiser she was travelling in, and they were considering “all versions” when it came to working out who was responsible.

The nightly curfew in Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, regularly hit by Russian shelling, would be extended for the entire day on Wednesday, regional Governor Oleh Synehub told residents on the Telegram messaging app.

As the war that has killed thousands and forced millions to flee heads for its half-year mark, Ukrainian military and local officials reported more Russian strikes overnight on targets in the east and south of the country.

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