Russia's MoD accuses Ukrainian nationalists of mining Nikolaevsky dam to frame Kremlin

Amid its ruthless war with Ukraine, the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Sunday accused the Ukrainian nationalists of mining the Nikolaevsky reservoir dam in the Marganets city of Dnepropetrovsk Oblast. Colonel-General Mikhail Mizintsev, chief of the National Defense Control Center of the Russian Federation, claimed that the Ukrainian nationalists intend to blow up the dam and pin the blame on Russian troops for the disaster, Sputnik reported. He further stated that the dam's explosion might lead to huge floods, potentially affecting more than 45,000 people.

Mizintsev also anticipated that the subsequent water deficit will disrupt crucial supplies, resulting in a significant decline in health and the spread of infectious diseases in the Nikopol region. Meanwhile, the Russian Defence Ministry further claimed that its troops destroyed a depot containing weapons and ammunition supplied to Ukraine from the US and Europe. Major General Igor Konashenkov, the spokesperson for the Russian Defence Ministry, stated that Moscow's troops attacked the military base near Odessa using Onyx missiles. 

Russia condemns West's continued supply of weapons to Ukraine

"High-precision Onyx missiles destroyed a warehouse near Odessa with weapons and ammunition received from the United States and European countries, and also destroyed the runway," Konashenkov stated in a press briefing, as per Sputnik. The United States, NATO allies, and the European Union have expanded arms supplies to Ukraine since Russia launched a full-fledged war on February 24. Earlier on April 28, President Joe Biden proposed $33 billion in emergency supplemental funds from the US Congress, including $20 billion for military assistance. However, Russia has consistently condemned the West's continued supply of armaments to Ukraine, claiming that it adds fuel to the fire and jeopardises the peace process. 

Russia accuses Ukraine of preparing fresh provocations to blame Moscow

It is pertinent to mention here that the Russian Defence Ministry has also accused Ukraine of preparing fresh provocations in order to blame Moscow and its armed forces. In a statement last week, it claimed that the Kyiv regime is mulling using toxic chemicals to strike civilian infrastructure in the area of Odessa port 'Yuzhny,' where at least 10 tons of ammonia were delivered on April 18. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned the Russian soldiers not to fight a "senseless war" in his country.

Image: AP