Ukraine updates: Independence Day attack kills 22 civilians

A Russian strike on a Ukrainian railway station killed 22 people and wounded 50 others, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a speech to the UN Security Council.

"I have just received information about a Russian missile strike on a railway station in the Dnipropetrovsk region... At least 15 people were killed and around 50 injured," Zelenskyy initially said, later giving a corrected death toll as it increased.

The president said the strike was "right on the wagons at Chaplino station. Four passenger cars are on fire".

"Rescuers are working on the spot, but the death toll may rise unfortunately." 

In the speech meant to mark Ukraine's independence day, and six months since the invasion began, Zelenskyy praised the determination of his fellow Ukrainians, saying "A new nation appeared in the world on February 24 at 4 in the morning. It was not born, but reborn. A nation that did not cry, scream or take fright. One that did not flee. Did not give up. And did not forget." 

Ukraine celebrated its Independence Day on a somber note Wednesday, exactly six months after Russia launched its invasion.

There were low-profile commemorations to mark 31 years of independence, as the Ukrainian population braced for possible Russian attacks to coincide with the event.

Authorities in Kyiv banned public gatherings while the front-line northeastern regional hub Kharkiv — Ukraine's second city — has imposed a curfew.

As part of its defiant celebrations, the Ukrainian government laid out the carcasses of burnt-out Russian tanks and armored vehicles in central Kyiv.

Here's a roundup of some of the other key developments regarding Russia's invasion of Ukraine on August 24.

US condemns possible trial of Ukrainian PoWs

After reports emerged that Moscow is considering prosecuting Ukrainian prisoners of war (PoW), Washington has condemned any such plans and called it "illegitimate." 

"The planned show trials are illegitimate and a mockery of justice, and we strongly condemn them," US State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement. 

The statement also said that "the Kremlin is attempting to deflect responsibility for President Putin's war of aggression and distract from overwhelming evidence of the atrocities Russian forces have committed in Ukraine" since the February invasion. 

The statement also called upon Russia to comply with international law agreements.

Ukraine plans to put Putin on trial

Ukrainian officials plan to put Russian President Vladimir Putin and his top military commanders on trial for launching the war by next year. 

Andrii Smirnov, deputy head of Ukraine's presidential administration, will head the plan for a special international tribunal to investigate Russia's alleged "crime of aggression."

This court is "the only way to make sure that the criminals who started the Ukraine war are held accountable quickly," Smirnov told AFP. 

This tribunal "will serve to make sure that these people are labelled as criminals, and that they cannot travel in the civilized world," he added.

US warns of 'sham' votes in occupied areas

Russia could begin announcing referendums designed to formalize its control of occupied parts of Ukraine as soon as this week, White House National Security spokesman John Kirby said.

The US has learned "that Russian leadership has instructed officials to begin preparing to hold sham referenda," Kirby added.

 "In fact, we can see a Russian announcement of the first one or ones before the end of this week," he said.

In 2014, Russian-backed separatists held a highly disputed referendum in the Crimean Peninsula about whether the region should join the Russian Federation.

Ukrainian spy chief says Russian offensive slowing

Kyrylo Budanov, chief of Ukraine's military intelligence service, said that Russia's offensive is slowing because of "moral and physical fatigue."

"Russia has rather seriously slowed down the tempo of its assault," Budanov said. "The reason for this is the exhaustion of their resource base, as well as a moral and physical fatigue from the fighting."

Earlier, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that Moscow had deliberately slowed down its offensive. He claimed that this was done to reduce civilian casualties.

When asked about a series of explosions in Crimea for which Kyiv has not claimed responsibility, Budanov said that Russia's defense systems in the peninsula "don't really work."

"Crimea … is defended by Russia's best air defence systems," Budanov said. "They don't really work, and they are not able to defend territory captured from Ukraine."

UN chief Guterres laments "sad and tragic milestone" in Ukraine

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the six-month anniversary of the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine a "sad and tragic milestone" during a Security Council meeting in New York.

"Despite progress on the humanitarian front, fighting in Ukraine shows no signs of ending — with new potential areas of dangerous escalation appearing," Guterres said, describing the effects of the conflict as "devastating."

"The consequences of this senseless war are being felt far beyond Ukraine," he said. "If we don't stabilize the fertilizer market in 2022, there simply will not be enough food in 2023."

Russia and Ukraine are both major exporters of fertilizers.

The UN chief said that "warning lights are flashing," referring to the possibility of a nuclear catastrophe at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in southern Ukraine. The plant is occupied by Russian forces, and Kyiv and Moscow have accused each other of shelling its facilities.

"Any further escalation of the situation could lead to self-destruction. The security of the plant must be ensured, and the plant must be re-established as purely civilian infrastructure," Guterres said.

Zelenskyy tells Moscow to stop 'nuclear blackmail'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the United Nations Security Council that Moscow "should unconditionally stop nuclear blackmail," referring to its occupation of the Zaporizhzhia plant in southern Ukraine.

Zelenskyy called for Russian forces to "completely withdraw" from the plant.

The Ukrainian head of state proposed that the International Atomic Energency Agency (IAEA) take over the Zaporizhzhia plant, saying that this should occur "as soon as possible." The plant has been under Russian control since March.

He also accused Russia of launching missiles at a railroad station in Ukraine's southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region.

Ukraine's president spoke via video link at a Security Council meeting to mark six months since the start of Moscow's invasion.

"Today our country is celebrating Independence Day and now everyone can see how much the world depends on our independence," Zelenskyy said, stressing that Russia must be "held accountable" for the invasion.

If Moscow is not stopped, "Russian killers will probably end up in other countries — in Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America," Zelenskyy argued.

Russia had attempted to prevent Zelenskyy from addressing the council, but it did not have the backing to do as 13 out of 15 Security Council members supported Zelenskyy's appearance.

UK's Johnson visits Kyiv, pledges additional military support

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv and pledged additional military support to the country.

Johnson announced support totalling 54 million pounds ($63.5 million, €64.1 million) while speaking in Ukraine during the country's Independence Day commemorations. The package will include 2,000 drones and loitering munitions, Johnson's office said.

Britain's prime minister tweeted that he believes that Ukraine can and will win the war against Russia.

During Johnson's visit, Ukraine's parliament gave him the "Order of Liberty" award for his support.

Boris Johnson has less than two weeks left in office.

Belarus congratulates Ukraine on Independence Day

Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko congratulated neighboring Ukraine on its Independence Day.

Belarus is a Russian ally and has been an important staging ground for Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

Ukraine and Belarus both gained their independence in August 1991 following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The two countries also share a history as part of the medieval Kievan Rus' polity and later the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

"I am convinced that today's contradictions will not be able to destroy the centuries-old foundation of sincere good neighborly ties between the peoples of our two countries," Lukashenko said.

"Belarus will continue to stand for the preservation of harmony, the development of friendly, mutually respectful contacts at all levels," he added.

Ukrainian presidential aide Mykhaylo Podolyak called Lukashenko's message "blood-soaked clowning."

"Lukashenko truly believes that the world does not notice his participation in the crimes against Ukraine," Podolyak said, calling the message "cynical."

Meanwhile, Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin reiterated Minsk's support for the invasion of Ukraine.

"We understand that Belarus is at the epicenter of the confrontation," Khrenin said, adding that Minsk had chosen to support its "strategic ally" Russia in the war.

Belarus' defense minister went on to describe Ukraine as an "outpost of an imposed and extremely aggressive policy and a bargaining chip in the hands of its Euro-Atlantic guardians," referring to Western support for Kyiv.

Khrenin said that Minsk maintains a policy of resolving conflicts by peaceful means and restoring "bridges of trust."

Russian detains two Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant workers

Two employees of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant have been detained for allegedly passing information to Ukrainian authorities, Russia's National Guard said.

The Nation Guard said it had prevented "illegal actions" that threatened the plant's security. It arrested the two plant workers and a third person who it said had violated the plant's access procedures.

The plant, located near the city of Enerhodar in Ukraine's southern Zaporizhzhia region, was captured by Russian forces in March. It is Europe's largest nuclear plant.

Both Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of shelling the plant.

White House announces $3bn in military aid

US President Joe Biden has announced nearly $3 billion in military aid to Kyiv on Wednesday as Ukraine marked its independence day six months after Russia invaded the country.

"I am proud to announce our biggest tranche of security assistance to date: approximately $2.98 billion of weapons and equipment to be provided through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative," Biden said in a statement.

Details of the funding became public yesterday, but it had yet to be officially announced by Biden.

It's expected that the package will include contracts for hand-launched Puma drones, the longer-endurance catapult-launched Scan Eagle surveillance drones, and the British Vampire drone system. 

Green lawmaker says Berlin paying the price of trusting Putin  

German Green Party lawmaker Jürgen Trittin has blamed past governments in Berlin for trusting Russian President Vladimir Putin and thinking he could be an "anchor of stability."

Trittin told DW there was no way to fix relations with Russia until it fundamentally changed. 

"Until this idea to change the map of Europe by force does not end there will be no normalization between Europe and Russia. That is the bitter message from the 24th of February, 2022," said Trittin, a member of the Bundestag's foreign affairs committee.

Trittin said Christian Democrats and Social Democrats had, over decades, made Germany to dependent on buying cheap gas from Russia to give Germany a competitive advantage. 

"This basis of the German economic model is over now and it is a question for our Minister for Economic Affairs, Robert Habeck, [one of Trittin's fellow Greens] now to bring Germany out of this dependency." 

The lawmaker, whose party is a junior member of Germany's ruling coalition, also said there was little option but to adopt energy saving measures. 
 
"If you stop all pipelines ending in Germany and delivering gas to Europe, then there is no fast substitution, so a strategy of energy saving — of opening industry for more energy efficiency — that is one of the things to bring down demand on natural gas in Germany."

German lawmaker says Berlin must be braver

A member of the opposition conservative Christian Democrats and chief of staff to the defense minister in the last German government has told DW Russia cannot be allowed to win in Ukraine.

Six months into Moscow's invasion, Nico Lange also called for more military support for Kyiv.  "Germany's weapon deliveries could be more oriented to the military situation in Ukraine right now," he said.

"I think what we have learned during the last six months is Ukraine is prevailing," Lange added. "Ukraine is showing an all-society defense very strongly. Ukraine is able to manage and also to use elaborate weapon systems and to learn to use them effectively very quickly. 

Germany has announced fresh deliveries of weapons worth more than €500 million euros ($500 million). However, as Lange noted, the new tranche of arms is mostly earmarked for 2023.

He concluded: "Germany should be more courageous now and also take up a leadership position in EU and NATO. I think that would be an aspect that would create more trust, especially with the partners in Central Eastern Europe."

NATO chief praises Ukraine's military

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has praised the Ukrainian military in a video message to mark the country's independence day.  

The NATO chief paid tribute "to all those who have lost their lives or been injured and to all Ukrainian men and women who are
fighting for their country, their freedom, and their loved ones."

"You can continue to count on NATO's support for as long as it takes," he said, repeating again his belief that Russia must not succeed. 

Ukraine must prevail and Ukraine will prevail," Stoltenberg said. "On your independence day, I wish you strength and success," he added.

Scholz assures Kyiv of support

Chancellor Olaf Scholz has told Ukraine it can be sure of Germany's support for as long as is necessary.

"Germany... stands firmly by the side of the threatened Ukraine today and for as long as Ukraine needs our support," Scholz said in a video posted on Twitter.

"We will continue to supply weapons" and "train Ukrainian soldiers on the latest European military equipment", he said.

The message came after Germany announced fresh deliveries worth more than 500 million euros ($500 million).

Among the weapons included are three IRIS-T anti-aircraft systems as well as armed recovery vehicles and rocket launchers.

"We will continue our sanctions. We will support Ukraine financially and help rebuild the destroyed cities and villages," Scholz said.

"Ukraine has a "firm place" in Europe and the "blue and yellow" [of the Ukrainian flag] and Europe's blue and yellow circle of stars belong together", he said.

Scholz added that, in October, Germany would be hosting an international reconstruction conference to help establish "the course for the future of Ukraine." 

US ambassador tweets message of support

US Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink tweeted a message of support to Ukraine to coincide with the anniversary.

Speaking to Ukrainians in a video, she paid tribute to "incredible unity and resolve in your heroic defense against Russian aggression."

"We stand united with you as that struggle continues in the face of Russia's brutal and unprovoked war."

Norway and UK donate micro drones

The Norwegian Defense Ministry said Norway and Britain are to jointly supply micro drones to Ukraine to aid in its war with Russia.

The Teledyne Flir Black Hornet drones, used for reconnaissance and target identification, are estimated to be worth some 90 million Norwegian crowns ($9.26 million, €9.31 million), the ministry said in a statement.

The miniature surveillance units can fit into an individual soldier's kit and provide troops on the ground with local situational awareness.

Russian detains politician for criticism of war

Authorities in Russian have arrested politician Yevgeny Roizman known for his criticism of the war in Ukraine.

Russia's state news agency TASS said Roizman, a former mayor of the city of Yekaterinburg, was being investigated for "discrediting the Russian army."

Roizman was one of a handful of Kremlin critics who won mayoral posts after a slew of opposition protests as President Vladimir Putin campaigned for a second stint as president in 2012.

Russian authorities have prosecuted a number of activists for calling the armed conflict a war, or for criticizing Russia's action.

More on the war in Ukraine

At dawn on February 24, Russia's army invaded Ukraine. A fighter with the National Guard, a volunteer in Kyiv, and a refugee from Mariupol tell DW how their lives have changed.

As Ukraine marks Independence Day, a reborn Ukraine led by the country's "independence generation" has emerged in the face of Russia's aggression, writes DW's Roman Goncharenko.

Speaking at the Crimea Platform conference, Ukraine's president said Kyiv would use any means it deems fit to recapture the peninsula. He also pledged a strong response to any Russian attacks on Independence Day.

The Ukrainian men's football Premier League has resumed. For safety reasons, the games will take place without spectators.

Calls to stop issuing tourist visas to Russians have been growing in the European Union for weeks. While states like Estonia are determined to keep vacationers out, others, like Germany, are more reluctant to do so.

Germany is prepared to ship more than €500 million ($499.3 million) in weapons in 2023 to help Ukraine fend off the ongoing Russian invasion. More from Tuesday's updates.

rc, sdi,es/sms, jcg (dpa, AFP, AP, Reuters, IFAX)