WAR IN UKRAINE: September 1 2022
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS: Day 190
In a move far overdue, European Union foreign ministers have agreed to suspend a visa agreement with Moscow, making it harder for Russian citizens to obtain entry to the bloc, reports the BBC. The measure, which makes it lengthier and more expensive for Russians to get a visa, is being seen as a compromise, with member states unable to agree on banning Russians altogether. Ukraine Foreign Affairs Minister Dmytro Kuleba called the action a “half measure.” Several eastern EU countries which border Russia expected to impose further restrictions in response to the invasion of Ukraine. Canada and the U.S. should immediately follow suit with their own tightening of travel restrictions on Russian nationals.
United Nations inspectors arrived at the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia on Wednesday on a mission to prevent an accident at a nearby Russian-occupied nuclear power plant and to try to stabilize the situation after weeks of shelling in the vicinity, Reuters reported. Russian-installed officials in the area near the power station suggested the visit might last only one day, while IAEA and Ukrainian officials suggested it would last longer. There has been shelling around the facility recently with both Russia and Ukraine accusing each other of carrying out the attacks.
US President Joseph Biden's administration has been helping the Ukrainian military prepare for the ongoing counteroffensive for the past few months by making specific requests for weapons, according to CNN. According to the official, several months ago, Ukraine asked the US to provide weapons suitable for a planned counteroffensive in the south. The U.S. has fulfilled many of those requests, including additional ammunition, artillery and the Javelin, in several presidential aid packages given to Ukraine over the past two months, – the official says. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and top US general Mark Milley have been in regular communication with their Ukrainian counterparts to determine what specific weapons are needed depending on Ukraine's objectives on the battlefield.
Fierce battles have been reported as Ukraine tries to retake the Russian-occupied Kherson region. But military experts have told the BBC any change in control of the southern region, which was seized at the very start of the war, "won't happen quickly.” Four villages were liberated from the Russians on Monday, a Ukrainian military source told CNN."