Russian president Putin detonates main Kherson river span, while Ukraine replies with large-scale drone attack on Russia's prominent seaside retreat
In the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Russian forces have escalated their assaults near Kherson, with a focus on key infrastructure. On August 2 and 3, a road bridge connecting the Korabel Microraion district with the rest of Kherson was targeted by Russian glide bomb strikes, resulting in at least one civilian death and injuries to three others.
The bridge, which connected the city to the Korabel neighbourhood, was severely damaged, causing restrictions on traffic due to ongoing UAV activity and damage assessment. Russian military activity in the Kherson direction continues with attempts to gain footholds in the Dnipro River Delta islands, although Ukrainian forces report these efforts have so far failed.
The bombing of the bridge is part of a wider intensified offensive by Russian forces, involving repeated airstrikes, increased use of drones, and efforts to advance on strategic positions in southern Ukraine. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported an attack on the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant today. However, no plant employees or members of the emergency services were injured in the shelling.
The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which is not operating but still requires power to keep its nuclear fuel cool, was seized by Russian forces during their February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The station is located 1,200 metres from the plant's site perimeter, with an auxiliary facility nearby. The IAEA could still see smoke from the shelling's direction in the afternoon.
Both sides have accused each other of actions that could trigger a nuclear accident at the plant. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky lamented the civilian deaths and called for additional pressure on Moscow and sanctions. Kherson Oblast, near the Russian-occupied Crimean region, is frequently targeted by the Russians.
Elsewhere, more than 120 firefighters are trying to extinguish a blaze at an oil depot in Sochi, Russia, caused by a drone attack. A massive fuel tank with a capacity of 2,000 cubic metres is on fire at the facility. In response to threats from a Kremlin comrade, former US President Donald Trump ordered the positioning of two nuclear submarines near Russian territory.
Meanwhile, the Russian defence ministry claimed it destroyed 93 Ukrainian drones overnight, including one over the Krasnodar region and 60 over the waters of the Black Sea. The ongoing conflict continues to pose significant challenges for both civilian populations and military forces in the region.
Politicians and journalists are closely monitoring the intensified offensive in Ukraine, as Russian forces launch aerial assaults and bomb critical infrastructure, such as the bridge in Kherson. The Bombing of the bridge and the potential threat to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which remains under Russian control, have raised concern about the political and general news implications of the ongoing war-and-conflicts in the region.
