Russia-Ukraine war, yellow on Putin’s speech postponed until today. An Italian volunteer died. The EU: “Russian referendums are illegal”

Bombs on Zaporizhzhia, damage to the cooling of the nuclear power plant. The dissident Navalny: “Recruiting Russian detainees reminds us of the Suicide Squad”

There are 210 days of war and the pro-Russian authorities of the occupied areas of Ukraine accelerate in the face of the counter-offensive of the Kiev forces. And, pushed by Moscow, they announce the calling of a referendum for the annexation to Russia. After a postponement last September in the organization of the vote, the self-proclaimed autonomous republics of Donbass, Lugansk and Donetsk – already recognized independent by Vladimir Putin on the eve of the invasion -, and the areas of the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts under Russian control by the early stages of the offensive called for consultations between 23 and 27 September.
For hours yesterday, diplomats and journalists in Moscow waited for a speech to the nation by President Vladimir Putin, which some independent media had announced for the evening. Eventually some sources close to the Kremlin reported that the speech would not take place and that it could instead take place today. During the day, rumors ran around the Russian capital that Putin could have announced a mobilization, partial or general, to strengthen Moscow’s military commitment in Ukraine. His main political opponent, Alexey Navalny, who was detained in Russia for political reasons, called Moscow’s decision to enlist the detainees to send them to fight in Ukraine “a kind of Suicide Squad”. What could an army of “assassins, thieves, brigands be able to do, Navalny wondered?” The DC Comics films feature imprisoned supervillains hired by the US government for covert, possibly deadly, operations. The reference is to the video circulated in recent days in which an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner group, speaks to a large group in the outer area of ​​a prison in Yoshkar-Ola, in western Russia.
Also yesterday, new bombs fell on Zaporizhzhia, causing damage to the cooling of the nuclear power plant.

Updates hour after hour

00.15 – Zelensky: “Thank you West for the support against the referendums”

00.10 – Borrell: “The EU condemns illegal referendums against Kiev’s sovereignty”
“The EU strongly condemns the plans for illegal referendums that go against the legal and democratic authorities of Ukraine and are a violation of the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine in flagrant violation of international law”. This is the denunciation of the EU High Representative for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell of the announcement of the referendum in the Ukrainian regions controlled by the Russians. The results of these referendums will be considered “null” and never recognized by the EU and its member states, he added warning that this move could lead to new sanctions. “Russia, its leaders and all those involved in these referendums and other violations of rights in Ukraine will be responsible and other restrictive measures against Russia will be considered,” he warned.

Here are the events of Tuesday 20 September