Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said today that it is in Russia's interest to spread "the lie that energy prices have risen because of the war" in Ukraine, as this will create fatigue in the West about supporting his country.
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The Ministry of Defense of Russia confirmed that Ukrainian troops attempted an offensive in Mykolaiv and Kherson regions, but also that they suffered significant casualties.
This was announced by the RIA agency, as reported by Reuters.
"The attempted enemy offensive has failed," the Russian Ministry of Defense said in a statement.
The governor of Mykolaiv region, Vitaly Kim, announced that during the shelling of Mykolaiv, two people were killed, and at least 11 were wounded.
As the Kyiv Independent writes, he added that 12 Russian missiles hit residential buildings in that city. Kim said that Russia launched multiple missiles, but not all of them reached their target.
Russian officials in Ukraine's Zaporozhye said that the level of radiation at the nuclear power plant in the region is normal and that the situation is under control, RIA Novosti reported, citing Reuters.
The Russian administration earlier said that a Ukrainian artillery strike blew a hole in the roof of a building used to store reactor fuel.
An undetermined number of residents died after Russian shelling of private houses in Mykolaiv (Nikolayev), regional governor Vitaly Kim wrote on Telegram, as reported by Reuters.
"The city center is heavily shelled and rockets are still being launched. Do not leave the shelters," Kim wrote.
Reuters said it could not immediately confirm the report.
The President of Slovenia, Borut Pahor, said that the countries of the Western Balkans are at risk of instability due to the war in Ukraine.
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Ukraine has begun a long-awaited counteroffensive in the south of the country, its southern military command announced on Monday, Reuters reports.
"Today we started offensive actions in different directions, including the Kherson region," Ukrainian public television Suspilne, spokesman for the southern command Nataliya Humenyuk, said. She confirmed this a few minutes later at the briefing.
The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that Russian forces shot down a Ukrainian drone that was trying to attack the nuclear power plant in Zaporozhye, Russian news agencies reported, Reuters reports.
The Ministry of Defense said that there was no serious damage and that the radiation level was normal. The drone was said to have been shot down near the facility's nuclear waste enclosure.
Reuters was unable to independently verify the report.
Both Russia and Ukraine have denied shelling the factory in Zaporozhye in recent weeks, while each has accused the other of doing so.
Germany will continue its support for the defense of Ukraine as long as necessary and will send state-of-the-art weapons to Kiev in the coming weeks, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Monday, Reuters reports.
In addition to sending advanced air defenses, radar systems or drones, Germany could take special responsibility for building up Ukrainian artillery and air defense capabilities, Scholz said during a visit to the Czech capital.
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An International Atomic Energy Agency mission will visit the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant in Ukraine this Sunday, agency chief Rafael Grossi said on Twitter on Monday.
"We must protect the safety and security of Ukraine and Europe's largest nuclear facility," he wrote, adding that he would lead the mission.
Captured by Russian troops in March but operated by Ukrainian personnel, Zaporozhye, Europe's largest nuclear power plant, has been a major flashpoint in the six-month conflict, Reuters reports.
The United Nations and Ukraine have called for the withdrawal of military equipment and personnel from the plant to ensure it is not a target.
"The day has come, the (IAEA's) #Zaporizhzhya Support and Assistance Mission (ISAMZ) is now on its way," Grossi announced, according to dpa.
IAEA experts should assess the physical damage to the facility, determine the functionality of the security systems, as well as carry out urgent protective activities, the agency announced.
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