Zelenskyy fires security chief, top prosecutor over treason concerns within their departments
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy fired the pinnacle of the nation’s safety service and its prosecutor common on Sunday, citing lots of of felony proceedings into treason and collaboration by folks inside their departments.
“Particularly, greater than 60 workers of the prosecutor’s workplace and the [Security Service of Ukraine] have remained within the occupied territory and work in opposition to our state,” Zelenskyy mentioned.
“Such an array of crimes in opposition to the foundations of the state’s nationwide safety, and the hyperlinks recorded between Ukrainian safety forces and Russian particular providers elevate very critical questions on their respective leaders,” he mentioned.
He dismissed Prosecutor Normal Iryna Venediktova, and changed her along with her deputy Oleksiy Symonenko.
He additionally dismissed Ivan Bakanov, the pinnacle of Ukraine’s safety service, the SBU. Bakanov was a long-time pal of Zelenskyy’s, in response to Ukrainian information companies.
Ukrainian counter-offensive looms in south
Earlier Sunday, Russian missiles hit industrial amenities at Mykolaiv, a strategic metropolis in southern Ukraine. Mayor Oleksandr Senkevych mentioned the missiles struck an industrial and infrastructure facility within the metropolis, a key shipbuilding centre within the estuary of the Southern Bug river. There was no fast details about casualties.
Mykolaiv has confronted common Russian missile strikes in current weeks because the Russians have sought to melt Ukrainian defences.
The Russian navy has declared a aim to chop off Ukraine’s whole Black Beach all the best way to the Romanian border. If profitable, such an effort would deal a crushing blow to the Ukrainian economic system and commerce, and permit Moscow to safe a land bridge to Moldova’s separatist area of Transnistria, which hosts a Russian navy base.
Early within the marketing campaign, Ukrainian forces fended off Russian makes an attempt to seize Mykolaiv, which sits close to the Black Beach between Russia-occupied Crimea and the primary Ukrainian port of Odesa. Since then, Russian troops have halted their makes an attempt to advance within the metropolis however have continued to pummel each Mykolaiv and Odesa with common missile strikes.
Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of Russia’s Safety Council, which is chaired by President Vladimir Putin, responded to Ukrainian officers’ statements that Kyiv might strike the bridge linking Crimea and Russia, warning that may set off devastating penalties for the Ukrainian management.
“They’ll momentarily face Doomsday,” Medvedev mentioned Sunday. “It could be very onerous for them to cover.”
Medvedev, who as soon as was touted by the West as extra liberal in comparison with Putin, mentioned Russia will press its motion in Ukraine till fulfilling its acknowledged aim of “denazifying” and “demilitarizing” the nation. He predicted the preventing will “undoubtedly result in the collapse of the present regime” in Kyiv.
Russian missiles struck cities in central and southwest Ukraine removed from the entrance strains of the battle and Ukraine mentioned Canada’s resolution to return generators utilized in a pipeline to hold pure gasoline from Russia to Germany shall be seen as an indication of weak spot by Moscow. Right here’s a recap of the battle in Ukraine from July 9 to July 15.
Russian Defence Ministry spokesperson Lt.-Gen. Igor Konashenkov mentioned Sunday that Russian missiles destroyed a depot for anti-ship Harpoon missiles delivered to Ukraine by NATO allies, a declare that could not be independently confirmed.
The Russians, fearing a Ukrainian counter-offensive, additionally sought to bolster their positions within the Kherson area close to Crimea and in a part of the northern Zaporizhzhia area that they seized within the opening stage of the battle.
The British Defence Ministry mentioned Sunday that Russia is shifting troops and tools between Kherson, Mariupol and Zaporizhzhia, and growing safety measures round Melitopol.
It added: “Given the pressures on Russian manpower, the reinforcement of the south while the struggle for the Donbas continues signifies the seriousness with which Russian commanders view the risk.”
Wrestle for Donbas
For now, the Russian navy has targeted on attempting to take management of Ukraine’s japanese industrial heartland of the Donbas, dwelling to Moscow-backed separatists and the place probably the most succesful and well-equipped Ukrainian forces are positioned.
Ukraine says its forces nonetheless retain management of two small villages within the Luhansk area, one of many two provinces that make up the Donbas, and are keeping off Russian makes an attempt to advance deeper into the second, the Donetsk area.
The Ukrainian navy’s Normal Employees mentioned Sunday that Ukrainian troops thwarted Russian makes an attempt to advance towards Sloviansk, the important thing Ukrainian stronghold in Donetsk, and assaults elsewhere within the area.
But Russian officers are urging their troops to supply much more territorial positive aspects. Throughout a go to to the entrance strains Saturday, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu issued an order “to additional intensify the actions of items in all operational areas.”
