Day 437 since the beginning of the war: Russia is said to have used phosphorus bombs in Bakhmut. Prigozhin wants to retreat with his Wagner mercenaries. All information in the blog.
The most important things at a glance
Romania: Russian jet intercepts Polish plane
1.45 a.m.: According to Romanian reports, a Russian warplane intercepted a Polish plane during a patrol flight for the EU border protection agency Frontex. The Romanian Defense Ministry said on Saturday that the Polish border guard plane was on a routine Frontex flight on Friday when it was intercepted by a Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jet through repeated “aggressive and dangerous manoeuvres”.
The incident happened “in international airspace over the Black Sea”, about 60 kilometers east of Romanian airspace. Romanian and Spanish aircraft were then put on “pre-alert” by NATO. However, the Polish crew managed to land safely after the machine “initially lost altitude” and “had serious control problems,” said the Defense Ministry in Bucharest.
Nuclear Authority: Situation around Zaporizhia nuclear power plant ever more unpredictable
11:10 p.m.: The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is alarmed by the tense situation surrounding the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine, which is close to the front. The situation is becoming more and more unpredictable and the risk of danger in the Russian-occupied nuclear power station is increasing, said IAEA boss Rafael Grossi. “I am extremely concerned about the very real security risks,” he warns in a status report. “We must act now to prevent an impending serious nuclear accident.”
The pro-Moscow administration in the Zaporizhia region announced evacuations on Friday, including the city of Enerhodar, where most of the nuclear power plant personnel live. According to Grossi, the employees are staying on site, but the situation is still becoming “increasingly tense, nerve-wracking and challenging” for them and their families. According to the IAEA, permanent stress can lead to errors and accidents in nuclear power plants.
Air alert in large parts of Ukraine
9.40 p.m.: The Ukrainian authorities are issuing an air alert for about two-thirds of the country. The warnings extend from the capital Kiev to numerous regions in Ukraine.
Russia reports launching a Ukrainian missile over Crimea
6:14 p.m.: According to Russian information, the Russian army has fended off a Ukrainian missile over the Crimean peninsula, which has been annexed by Russia since 2014. “The anti-aircraft defense system shot down a ballistic missile over the Republic of Crimea,” Moscow-appointed Crimean Governor Sergey Aksyonov told Telegram on Saturday. The missile was launched using Ukraine’s Hrim-2 system and there was no damage or casualties, he added.
His adviser, Oleg Kryuchkov, later stated that, according to updated information, two Hrim-2 missiles had been shot down. AFP could not initially confirm the information from an independent source. This is the second time Russian authorities have reported Ukrainian Hrim ballistic missiles over Crimea, according to the state-run Russian news agency Tass. There was another such incident just last month.
The most recent incident occurred against the background of increasing drone attacks, acts of sabotage and alleged attacks on Russian territory – sometimes far away from Ukraine – the perpetrators of which could not be clearly identified.
The Kremlin has accused Ukraine of being behind the attacks. Kyiv rejects this. A major offensive by the Ukrainian armed forces seems to be on the horizon.
Wagner boss wants to accept Kadyrov’s transfer offer for Bachmut
2:23 p.m.: The head of the Russian mercenary group Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, says he is making concrete preparations for the imminent withdrawal of his fighters from the front in eastern Ukraine. Prigozhin’s press service announced on Telegram on Saturday that he wanted to accept a transfer offer from the head of the Russian republic of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov. Kadyrov had previously stated that men from his “Achmat” unit could take over the positions of the Wagner mercenaries in the heavily contested Ukrainian city of Bakhmut.
Now Prigozhin has also published a letter to Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, in which he calls on him to issue an order for the positions to be handed over to Kadyrov’s men. This operation should be completed by next Wednesday at midnight, it said. Russia’s army, which has been fighting in the Bakhmut region together with the Wagner troops in extremely costly battles, has not commented on Prigozhin’s threats and accusations.
