War in Ukraine: Putin accuses the United States of dragging out the conflict, new explosion in a Russian base in Crimea – Le Figaro

UPDATE ON THE SITUATION – Le Figaro takes stock of the latest information from journalists, official Ukrainian and Russian statements, Western sources and international organizations. Accusation of Vladimir Putin, fire and explosion at a Russian military base in Crimea , a new alert from Zelensky about a possible “catastrophe” at the Zaporijjia nuclear power plant, a statement from kyiv about a strike against a base of Wagner’s Russian mercenaries or even the trial of five foreigners judged as “mercenaries” by the separatists… In 174th day of the conflict, Le Figaro takes stock, this Tuesday, August 16, of the latest information from the war in Ukraine. Putin accuses Washington of dragging out the Ukrainian conflictRussian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday accused the United States of dragging the Ukrainian conflict and seek to “destabilize” the world with a recent visit to Taiwan by the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives children Nancy Pelosi. “The situation in Ukraine shows that the United States is trying to drag out this conflict. And they act the same way by instigating the potential for conflict in Asia,” Vladimir Putin said in an address to the International Security Conference in Moscow, saying he saw Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan as “a conscious strategy to destabilize the situation in the world”. .Read alsoCrimea: fire and explosion of ammunition at a Russian baseThe fire broke out around 03:15 GMT in a temporary ammunition depot at a Russian base in the Djankoy district (north), the ministry said in a press release, cited by Russian news agencies. “As a result of the fire, a detonation of ammunition occurred,” he said. According to the governor of Crimea, Sergey Aksionov, who visited the scene, two civilians were injured , and the evacuation of residents of a nearby village was underway. At 06:15 GMT, the explosion was still continuing, Sergei Aksionov said on Telegram. This incident comes a week after an explosion of ammunition intended for military aviation at a depot located on the territory of the Saki military airfield in western Crimea. These explosions left one dead and several injured. Crimea, a peninsula of Ukraine annexed in 2014 by Moscow, has been at the forefront of Russia’s military offensive against its Ukrainian neighbor since February 24. Russian planes take off almost daily from Crimea to strike targets in regions under the control of kyiv and several areas of this peninsula are located within the range of Ukrainian guns and drones. Despite the conflict, Crimea has remained an important vacation spot for many Russians who continue to enjoy the summer on its beaches. the Ukrainian presidency, Mikhaïlo Podoliak. “Crimea in a normal country is the Black Sea, mountains, recreation and tourism. But Russian-occupied Crimea means explosions of ammunition depots and high risk of death for invaders and thieves,” he said. Zelensky worries about a possible “radioactive incident” “In the shelter of the station, the occupiers bombard the surrounding towns and communities,” accused Volodymyr Zelensky in his Monday evening address. “Any radioactive incident at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant can strike a blow at European Union countries, Turkey, Georgia, and countries in more distant regions. It all depends on the direction and the strength of the wind”, continued the Ukrainian president. To read also Renaud Girard: “Stop the nuclear danger in Zaporijjia” “If the actions of Russia lead to a catastrophe, the consequences could hit those who remain silent for now,” he warned. He called on the international community to adopt “tough new sanctions against Russia” and not to “give in to nuclear blackmail”. “All Russian forces must immediately withdraw from the station and surrounding areas without any conditions,” he said. of Europe, had been taken in early March by Russian troops, at the start of their invasion of Ukraine launched on February 24. Since late July, several strikes, which the two sides accuse each other of, have targeted the site, raising fears of a nuclear disaster and prompting a meeting of the UN Security Council last week. A Wagner base hit, according to KievL Ukraine said on Monday it had targeted a base of the paramilitary group Wagner, whose men are accused of fighting alongside Russian troops. According to the governor of the Lugansk region in eastern Ukraine, the base of this private military company in the town of Propasna was “destroyed by a precision strike”. The shooting took place on Sunday, Serguiï Gaïdaï said on Telegram. Very opaque, the Wagner group is reputed to be linked to the Russian oligarch Evguéni Prigojine, himself considered to be close to President Vladimir Putin. The presence of its fighters has been confirmed in recent years in Syria, Libya, Mali and other African countries. Several bridges targeted The Ukrainian authorities have also claimed that pro-kyiv saboteurs managed to blow up a bridge railway near the city of Melitopol (Zaropijjia region, south), occupied by the Russian army, in a new effort to disrupt the logistics of troops from Moscow. “One less railway bridge southwest of Melitopol means an absence total number of military trains from Crimea”, peninsula annexed in 2014 by Russia and essential to the supplies of the Russian army, announced on Telegram the mayor of Melitopol, Ivan Fedorov. Ukraine has targeted several bridges in recent weeks, mainly in the occupied region of Kherson, where kyiv says it is carrying out a counter-offensive that has made it possible to retake dozens of villages and now threaten Russian troops who have crossed the Dnieper River. Five foreigners tried co even ‘mercenaries’ by separatistsMoscow-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine began on Monday trying three Britons, a Croat and a Swede accused of fighting with the Ukrainian army, which could cost them a fine of death. The “Supreme Court” of the separatist region of Donetsk has opened the trial of John Harding, Andrew Hill, Dylan Healy, originally from the United Kingdom, as well as Croatian Vjekoslav Prebeg and Swede Mathias Gustafsson, Russian media reported. read alsoWar in Ukraine: the Russian army intensifies its discreet recruitment campaignPrisoners, captured in the area of ​​​​the Ukrainian port of Mariupol, besieged and bombarded for weeks by the Russian army, incur the death penalty, according to a judge quoted by the TASS news agency. According to the Ria-Novosti agency, these three men who risk execution are being prosecuted for attempting to “take power by force” and for “participation in an armed conflict as a mercenary”. The Briton Andrew Hill is accused only mercenary, while Dylan Healy is prosecuted for “having participated in the recruitment of mercenaries” in favor of Ukraine, according to the Ria-Novosti agency. The court indicated that the trial of the five accused will not resume until early October, without giving any explanation on the reasons for this delay. They all pleaded not guilty, according to Russian media.