Ukraine has begun an offensive operation across the south in response to Russians forces taking over the territory. Russia originally invaded the southern border of the country taking siege over areas that hold historical significance, including the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and the symbolic city of Kherson. Ukraine is fighting to take the plant and city back, before even more danger arises. 

Pictures were released of puncture holes in the roof of a building in the plant, creating fear over the potential disaster it could cause. The war between the two countries has only gotten deadlier and more drastic since the initial invasion in February, 2022, there has been an estimated 29,000 deaths and 52,000 non-fatal injuries of citizens according to Reuters. With the numbers only going up, Ukraine is working to stop a future nuclear disaster by sending a group of inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency to check out the plant.

However, there has been word of tension rising between the Russian soldiers guarding the plant and the agents trying to access it. According to the Washington Post, the team of experts officially arrived in the city on Aug. 31, 2022, after taking six months to negotiate international terms regarding the plant. The New York Times stated that the advisor to the Ukrainian president, Mykhailo Podolyak, has said that the Russian forces are “deliberately shelling” the different routes that lead to the site, making the mission nearly impossible. Safety measures have been a necessity needed to be taken as two Ukrainian plant workers have been killed at the hands of the Russian soldiers guarding the plant. 

Ukraine has ordered Russian forces to vacate the plant, but have been unsuccessful in their attempts as they say they are here to “ensure the safety of the facility”. The Guardian reported that there has been a buildup of Russian troops and equipment in the southern region of the plant and that Russian forces were strong in that region. Ukraine on the other hand has been building up its arsenal with help from the western hemisphere and is confident in their ability to gain back their southern territory. 

Ukraine is urgent in their efforts to build an offensive operation force not only because of the importance of the area but also because one of Ukraine’s most symbolic cities Kherson has been taken under the control of Russian invaders. Russia claims that the residents of the area want to be a part of Russia, according to The Guardian. Kherson is being changed to fit a more Russian aesthetic with quotes from Vladimir Putin put on billboards across the city and school curriculums changing to teach Russian history. Even the city’s internet was even rerouted through Russian servers. However, residents of the city are said to have “minimal enthusiasm” for the change happening in their city. 

Ukraine’s offensive operation force gathering at the border of the stolen territory means that the war between the two countries is taking a new turn with more people in danger than ever before.