NU.nl regularly provides an overview of the situation in Ukraine. In this weather: new bombings in the recaptured city of Kherson, in Luhansk and around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. The World Health Organization (WHO) is also calling for a humanitarian corridor, because many hospitals can no longer function properly and medicine supplies are running out.
In the recaptured city of Kherson, shelling continues. At least one person was killed. Three others were seriously injured. They were taken to the hospital. Kyiv continues to stress that the war after the withdrawal from the Kherson region is not over.
The Russians also bombed the eastern Ukrainian province of Luhansk for days. The fighting takes place mainly around the city of Stavove. Russia considers that city an important center.
The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant was also targeted again. Several violent explosions were reported during the night between Saturday and Sunday. The plant is currently in Russian hands. Russia’s energy agency, Rosatom, is in talks with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The IAEA says multiple buildings, systems and equipment have been damaged, but reports no critical damage threatening nuclear safety. Ukraine and Russia blame each other for the attacks on the nuclear power plant.
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WHO concerned about the health of many Ukrainians
According to WHO, assistance to Ukrainians is in trouble. The organization says there have been more than 700 attacks on health infrastructure since the start of the war. That’s why the organization is calling for a humanitarian corridor, he said BBC News. It is a path free from combat, on which medical devices must be able to be transported freely, so that doctors can provide the necessary treatment.
WHO is particularly concerned about the 17,000 people living with HIV in the Donetsk Basin. Drugs that inhibit that virus are in short supply and supplies need to be replenished. Also, the flu virus occurs during the winter and many people are not vaccinated against COVID-19. “This poses a danger to the elderly and other vulnerable Ukrainians,” the health organization says.
The massive power outage in the country is also a major concern of WHO. A quarter of the population is without electricity. Hospitals have problems and need electrical equipment for patient examination and treatment. Winter cold will cause an increase in the number of ailments. Two to three million people in Ukraine may soon be forced from their unheated homes.
However, the Ukrainian government says Ukrainians should not leave the country for fear of a power outage. Deputy President Volodymyr Zelensky Kirilo Tymoshenko said many different scenarios were being considered. “I want to reassure everyone right away: there is absolutely no need to leave the country.”
New reports of torture and burning of corpses
Russia is again accused of torturing citizens of Ukraine. Four torture chambers have been found in the city of Kherson, from which the Russians recently withdrew. Electric tools and handcuffs, among other things, were found in those places, Kyiv reports.
Russian troops would also burn their own fallen soldiers, he said The Guardian. There are rumors that there are several places in the Kherson region where burnt bodies have been found.
Several countries offer support to Ukraine and neighboring Moldova
Norway has indicated that it will help Ukraine with the purchase of gas for next winter. The amount in question is NOK 2 billion (about €1.9 billion) and is part of the announced support package from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development of Ukraine.
During an international conference in Paris, more than 100 million euros were raised to help neighboring Moldova. Moscow has cut off gas supplies to the country of 2.6 million people. The import of electricity from Ukraine is no longer possible due to the Russian bombing of the energy infrastructure.
According to Moldovan President Maia Sandu, her country is threatened by a serious energy crisis. His French counterpart Emmanuel Macron said a large part of the amount raised should be used to help Moldova overcome the crisis. Germany is also offering the country around 32 million euros to stay out of the crisis.
