Ukrainian President Zelenskyy in car accident, no serious injuries: Report

Russia-Ukraine war: The war between Russia and Ukraine appears to be entering a new phase after Kyiv dealt a big blow to Moscow`s grip on parts of the east with a fast-moving offensive that saw Ukrainian troops enter the strategic city of Izium after six months of occupation.

Image courtesy: ANI

Kyiv: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been involved in a car accident but he is "not seriously injured", reported Ukrainian media portal The Kyiv Independent quoting Zelenskyy`s spokesman Serhii Nykyforov, who in a Facebook post on September 15 said that a car collided with the presidential car and motorcade. Zelensky was examined by a doctor after the accident and is said to be not seriously injured, said the media portal, adding that medics accompanying Zelensky also provided his driver with medical assistance and transferred him to an ambulance. Nykyforov further said that law enforcement will thoroughly investigate the crash. 

According to reports, the war between Russia and Ukraine appears to be entering a new phase after Kyiv dealt a big blow to Moscow`s grip on parts of the east with a fast-moving offensive that saw Ukrainian troops enter the strategic city of Izium after six months of occupation. When Ukrainian forces entered the city of Izium on Saturday, it indicated that the Russian troops are scrambling to hold onto the territory they captured over the past six months, according to a CNN report.

Russian forces were also forced to evacuate the strategic eastern city of Izium just five days after Ukrainian forces began a new offensive eastward through the Kharkiv region. "Russians escaped and left weapons and ammo behind. The city centre is free," a spokesperson for the Bohun Brigade of the Land Forces of Ukraine last week stated. 

Earlier on Sunday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Telegram that Ukrainian forces have liberated the settlement of Chkalovske in the Kharkiv region of Russian troops, adding "Another freed settlement! Thanks to the 14th separate mechanized brigade named after Prince Roman the Great, the Ukrainian flag returned to Chkalovske, Kharkiv region." In his daily video message late on Friday, Zelenskyy said the Armed Forces of Ukraine had liberated and taken control of more than 30 settlements in the Kharkiv region. 

The last few days have seen the most ambitious ground assaults by the Ukrainians since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in late February.

UN chief Antonio Guterres, President Putin discuss war in Ukraine

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that he spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday about exporting Russian fertilizer through Ukraine's Black Sea ports to address a growing global food crisis that threatens multiple famines. The UN Chief said they also discussed security at Europe's largest nuclear plant, where he said bombing has stopped for the past three days, and prisoners of war, said an AP report.

Guterres told a news conference that Putin said a fact-finding mission he appointed at the request of Russia and Ukraine to investigate killings at the Olenivka prison in a separatist region of eastern Ukraine on July 29 will be able to go there "through whatever way we choose, and that is a very important aspect." 

The warring nations reportedly accuse each other of carrying out the attack in which separatist authorities and Russian officials said 53 Ukrainian prisoners of war were killed and 75 were wounded. Guterres said the call to President Putin was a follow-up to his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Lviv on Aug. 18, and regular calls to the head of Zelenskyy's office, Andriy Yermak.

On the issue of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine, Europe's largest, the head of the UN Nuclear watchdog agency said on Monday that he has started consultations with Ukraine and Russia on his call for a "nuclear safety and security protection zone" around the facility, and the two sides appear to be interested. The Zaporizhzhia plant was reconnected to Ukraine's electricity grid over the weekend, allowing engineers to shut down its last operational reactor in an attempt to avoid disaster as fighting raged in the area.

(With ANI/AP Inputs)