KYIV, Ukraine -- Ukraine鈥檚 president said Monday that Kyiv has been able to defend the independence of the country in the eight months of the war waged by Russia.
In his nightly address, Volodymyr Zelenskyy marked the eight-month anniversary of the invasion and noted that the Ukrainian forces are advancing in the partially occupied Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv and Kherson regions and also intend to retake the Zaporizhzhia region and the annexed Crimea.
鈥淯kraine is breaking the so-called second army of the world,鈥� Zelenskyy said. 鈥淣ow Russia can only be a beggar. It is begging for something in Iran, trying to squeeze something out of Western states, inventing various tales about Ukraine, intimidating, deceiving.鈥�
Zelenskyy warned that the coming winter 鈥渨ill be the most difficult in history.鈥�
鈥淲e have no right to relax. We still have to go the way to the Ukrainian victory. It is a difficult road,鈥� the president said.
____
KEY DEVELOPMENTS:
鈥� Ukraine reports launched by Russia
鈥� Ukraine hospital鈥檚 staff fight
鈥� to retrieve body of prisoner of war
鈥� Macron: Ukraine to decide time,
鈥� EXPLAINER: What would mean for Russia?
___
ZAGREB, Croatia -- U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Monday that Iran is 鈥渕aking a big mistake鈥� by supplying Russia with drones that are targeting Ukraine鈥檚 infrastructure.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been trying for a while now to have a nuclear agreement with Iran so that we can make the world a safer place and now they鈥檙e going off aiding the Russians and making the world a less safe place,鈥� Pelosi said in Zagreb, Croatia.
The United States and key Western allies have accused Russia of using Iranian-made drones to attack civilians and power plants in Ukraine. Iran has denied it is supplying Russia with the explosive-laden missiles but the distinctive triangle-shaped drones have been seen.
鈥淔irst of all, we have to be able to counter the drones,鈥� Pelosi said at a joint press conference with Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic. 鈥淚t is a dangerous technology and it must be stopped.鈥�
Pelosi was in Croatia to attend an international forum aimed at supporting Ukraine鈥檚 independence in the face of the Russian aggression.
___
MOSCOW 鈥� A senior Russian official says that authorities have taken steps to boost weapons production amid the fighting in Ukraine.
Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of Russia鈥檚 Security Council chaired by President Vladimir Putin, said he visited the country鈥檚 top tank factory in the Ural Mountains city of Nizhny Tagil on Monday to discuss ways of increasing output.
Medvedev noted that foreign observers have predicted that Russia would run out of its weapons stockpiles soon, adding that such forecasts were bound to fail.
He said that 鈥減roduction of weapons and equipment 鈥� from tanks and cannons to precision missiles and drones 鈥� is increasing many fold.鈥�
鈥淵ou just wait,鈥� he said.
___
MOSCOW 鈥� Russia's military says it has discussed with its British counterparts the alleged threat of Ukraine using a dirty bomb.
According to a statement Monday by Russia鈥檚 Defense Ministry, Gen. Valery Gerasimov, chief of the Russian General Staff, discussed 鈥渢he situation related to the possible use of a dirty bomb by Ukraine鈥� with Britain鈥檚 Chief of the Defense Staff Admiral Tony Radakin.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu first made the claim over the weekend in phone calls with his counterparts from the United States, Britain, France and Turkey.
The Russian Defense Ministry said Shoigu voiced concern about 鈥減ossible Ukrainian provocations involving a 鈥榙irty bomb,鈥欌�� a device that uses explosives to scatter radioactive waste. It doesn鈥檛 have the devastating effect of a nuclear explosion, but could expose broad areas to radioactive contamination.
The U.S., Britain and France responded by saying in a joint statement that 鈥渙ur countries made clear that we all reject Russia鈥檚 transparently false allegations that Ukraine is preparing to use a dirty bomb on its own territory.鈥�
___
NICOSIA, Cyprus 鈥� Hungary鈥檚 foreign minister says his counterparts in other European Union countries are seized by a 鈥渞hetoric of war鈥� that鈥檚 pushing the prospect of peace in war-torn Ukraine farther away.
P茅ter Szijj谩rt贸 says his country has been calling for an immediate ceasefire and for peace talks between Ukrainian and Russian officials as soon as possible. Europe鈥檚 security, economy and energy supply will increasingly suffer the longer the war continues, he said Monday.
Szijj谩rt贸 said after talks with his Cypriot counterpart that the EU鈥檚 sanctions on Russia as a result of its invasion of Ukraine have 鈥渇ailed,鈥� driving up inflation and bringing 鈥渆xtremely high energy costs鈥� in Hungary because of reduced gas supply.
The top Hungarian diplomat urged the EU to embark on a search for new sources of energy and to harness newly found gas deposits off Cyprus, building 鈥渘ew pipelines, new routes to make sure that the gas which is being found here can be available for the European market.鈥�
___
MOSCOW 鈥� The Russian military says it has readied its forces for the possible use of a dirty bomb by Ukraine in a false flag attack to be blamed on Russia. That claim that has been strongly rejected by the U.S. and its allies.
Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, head of the Russian military鈥檚 radiation, chemical and biological protection forces, said Monday that Russian military assets already had been prepared to operate in conditions of radioactive contamination.
Kirillov charged that Ukraine has abundant stock of radioactive waste accumulated at its nuclear power plants and waste storage facilities, as well as the necessary expertise to build a dirty bomb.
Speaking at a briefing, Kirillov claimed that a dirty bomb explosion could spew deadly radiation at distances of up to 1,500 kilometers (900 miles).
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov seconded the military鈥檚 allegations, saying Monday that 鈥渢he information has been checked via corresponding channels.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 not an unfounded suspicion, we have serious reasons to believe that such things could be planned,鈥� he said at a news conference Monday.
Ukraine has rejected Moscow鈥檚 claims as an attempt to distract attention from its own plans to detonate a dirty bomb, and its Western allies also dismissed the Russian claims as 鈥渢ransparently false.鈥�
___
MOSCOW 鈥� Russian authorities say Ukrainian troops fired rockets at a major hydroelectric power plant in the southern Kherson region.
Russian news agencies carried a statement from regional emergency services saying Monday that the Ukrainian military fired 19 rockets at the Kakhovka plant and scored three hits.
There was no immediate information about the casualties, and the damage was still being assessed.
Vladimir Rogov, a senior member of the Kherson region administration, said that the Kakhovka plant hadn鈥檛 sustained serious damage and was still operating.
Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of plotting to blow up the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant鈥檚 dam to flood the mostly flat terrain as Ukrainian forces press their offensive on Kherson, which was captured by the Russian troops in the early days of the conflict.
___
KYIV, Ukraine 鈥� Ukraine鈥檚 top diplomat is urging the U.N. nuclear watchdog to immediately send an inspection team to the country to counter Moscow鈥檚 claim that Kyiv is preparing a 鈥減rovocation鈥� involving a dirty bomb.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Monday he made the request in a call with Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Kuleba said Grossi agreed to send a team of inspectors, adding that 鈥渦nlike Russia, Ukraine has always been and remains transparent. We have nothing to hide.鈥�
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu alleged in phone calls with his counterparts from the United States, Britain, France and Turkey that Ukraine was preparing a provocation involving a dirty bomb 鈥� a device that uses explosives to scatter radioactive material.
The U.S., Britain and France said in a joint statement that they 鈥渞eject Russia鈥檚 transparently false allegations that Ukraine is preparing to use a dirty bomb on its own territory.鈥�
___
BERLIN 鈥� German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says rebuilding Ukraine will be a 鈥渢ask for a generation鈥� that no country, donor or international institution can manage alone.
Scholz spoke at a German-Ukrainian business forum on Monday, a day before he and the head of the European Union鈥檚 executive Commission host a gathering of experts to help mobilize international support for Ukraine鈥檚 reconstruction.
The chancellor pointed to the EU鈥檚 decision in June to make Ukraine a candidate to join the bloc. He said that 鈥渢his decision also sends a signal to private investors: anyone who invests in rebuilding Ukraine today is investing in a future EU member country that will be part of our legal community and our single market.鈥�
Scholz said it鈥檚 important not just to repair destroyed energy plants and networks, but to make them more efficient 鈥� ultimately allowing an expansion of Ukrainian electricity exports to the EU and a step-by-step transition to climate neutrality.
He stressed the need for more transparency and 鈥渁n even more determined fight against corruption鈥� as Ukraine strives ultimately to join the EU.
Ukraine鈥檚 Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal told the forum that rebuilding will be a forward-looking process. He added that 鈥渋n the process of transformation, incredible opportunities for European companies will open up 鈥� in the energy sector, in agriculture, in the military sector, in IT and all other (areas).鈥�
___
MOSCOW 鈥� The Kremlin is standing by its allegation that Ukraine may be preparing to detonate a so-called dirty bomb, which disperses radioactive material, though Ukraine, the United States, Britain and France have dismissed Moscow鈥檚 claim.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu made the claim in phone calls with his counterparts from the United States, Britain, France and Turkey.
The Russian Defense Ministry said Shoigu voiced concern about 鈥減ossible Ukrainian provocations involving a 鈥榙irty bomb,鈥欌�� a device that uses explosives to scatter radioactive material.
Such a device doesn鈥檛 have the devastating effect of a nuclear explosion, but could expose broad areas to radioactive contamination.
The Russian Defense Ministry and the Kremlin didn鈥檛 publicly offer any specific information to back up its claim.
But speaking during Monday鈥檚 call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov insisted that Shoigu鈥檚 warning reflected a real threat.
鈥淭heir distrust of the information that has been provided by the Russian side doesn鈥檛 mean that the threat of using such a dirty bomb doesn鈥檛 exist,鈥� Peskov said. 鈥淪uch a threat exists, and the defense minister has given the information about it to his interlocutors. It鈥檚 up to them whether to trust it or not.鈥�
Western allies said they reject 鈥淩ussia鈥檚 transparently false allegations鈥� and warned they would 鈥渟ee through any attempt to use this allegation as a pretext for escalation.鈥�
The Associated Press
