Kiev and Moscow continue to trade blame for attacks on Europe's largest nuclear plant Zaporizhzhia, raising concerns of a possible nuclear disaster as the conflict enters 195th day.
The International Atomic Energy Agency has called for a security zone around the Russian-occupied nuclear plant.
(AFP PHOTO / 2021 PLANET LABS INC.)
Tuesday, September 6, 2022Ukraine city housing nuclear plant shelled - exiled mayor
The Ukraine city of Energodar, home to Europe's largest nuclear plant Zaporizhzhia, has been shelled by Russian forces, its exiled mayor said.
Kiev and Moscow have traded blame for attacks on the site over the past weeks, raising concerns of a possible incident.
"There are explosions in Energodar city, provocations continue, there are shellings by the occupants," mayor Dmytro Orlov wrote on social media, mentioning several city venues under attack and urging residents to stay in shelters.
Commandant of Russian-controlled Ukraine city killed in bomb blast
The Russian-backed commandant of a southern Ukrainian city has died in a blast, a local official said, the latest in a series of assassinations in occupied areas of southern Ukraine.
Vladimir Rogov, an official in the Russian-backed administration of the Zaporizhzhia region, blamed the Ukrainian government for Artyom Bardin's death.
Russian media earlier said Bardin was hospitalised and in a critical condition after his car exploded outside the city administration building in Berdiansk in Zaporizhzhia region, an Azov Sea port of around 100,000 people that was captured by Russian troops in February.
US: Designating Russia as state sponsor of terror could be harmful
Designating Russia a state sponsor of terrorism "could have unintended consequences to Ukraine and the world," the White House has said.
Speaking to reporters, spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said "it is not the most effective or strongest path forward" to hold Russia accountable.
"According to humanitarian experts and NGOs we have spoken to, it could seriously affect the ability to deliver the assistance in areas of Ukraine.
Ukraine claims Russian shelling disconnected the grid from the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, as Zelenskyy warns ‘radiation catastrophe’ nears. We are recapping how the Zaporizhzhia crisis started.
UN chief urges Russia, Ukraine to demilitarise nuclear power plant
United Nations chief Antonio Guterres has urged Russia and Ukraine to agree to a demilitarised perimeter around the Russian-held Zaporozhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine.
"As a first step, Russian and Ukrainian forces must commit not to engage in any military activity towards the plant site or from the plant site," Guterres told the UN Security Council.
"As a second step, an agreement on a demilitarised perimeter should be secured. Specifically, that would include a commitment by Russian forces to withdraw all military personnel and equipment from that perimeter and a commitment by Ukrainian forces not to move into it," he told the 15-member body.
Ukraine's Zelenskyy seeks $400B in foreign investment
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has remotely rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange as his nation appealed for billions of dollars in private investment to rebuild factories and industries destroyed by Russia.
Zelenskyy's government launched a platform of over 500 projects worth $400 billion for foreign companies and private investors to help rebuild Ukraine's economy, even as the conflict with Russia drags on.
Zelenskyy appeared on a video screen behind the platform overlooking the NYSE floor where the opening bell is traditionally rung. Traders applauded and whooped while a banner read: "We are free. We are strong. We are open for business."
EU set to change visa rules for Russian travellers
The EU is expected to change its visa policy toward Russia from next week after the European Commission has officially proposed to suspend the bloc’s 2007 visa facilitation agreement with Moscow.
There is no basis for trust, and privilege relation between the EU and Russia, therefore the European Commission proposes to fully suspend its visa facilitation agreement, EU Commissioner for Home Affair s Ylva Johansson told a news conference in Brussels.
Russian citizens will “no longer enjoy the privilege access to the EU,” she said, explaining that visa applications for tourist and leisure purposes will be more difficult and twice as expensive as before.
Russia launches war games, together with India and China. Could there a formal alliance in the future? @elisabethbraw says it is very unlikely because those countries don’t share similar values.
Watch here: https://t.co/06lnos36D4pic.twitter.com/mZh1Dbhnzo
US: Russia to buy rockets, artillery shells from North Korea
The Russian Ministry of Defence is in the process of purchasing rockets and artillery shells from North Korea for its ongoing fight in Ukraine, according to a newly downgraded US intelligence finding.
A US official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the intelligence determination, said on Monday that the fact Russia is turning to the isolated state of North Korea demonstrates that “the Russian military continues to suffer from severe supply shortages in Ukraine, due in part to export controls and sanctions.”
The finding comes after the Biden administration recently confirmed that the Russian military in August took delivery of Iranian-manufactured drones for use on the battlefield in Ukraine.
Russian gas flows to EU via Ukraine remain stable
Flows of Russian gas to Europe via Ukraine were stable on Tuesday morning.
Russian flows of gas via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which runs under the Baltic Sea to Germany, remained at zero on Tuesday after Russia shut down the pipeline historically supplied about a third of the gas exported by Russia to Europe but was running at only 20 percent of capacity before the outage last week.
6 more grain ships leave Ukraine under Istanbul deal - Türkiye
Six more ships have left Ukrainian ports under the Türkiye-brokered grain export deal, the Turkish National Defence Ministry said.
A ministry statement, which did not disclose the ships’ points of departure or destinations, said on Tuesday that shipments from Ukrainian ports are continuing as planned.
Since the first vessel sailed under the deal on August 1, more than 90 ships have carried over 2 million tons of agricultural products from Ukraine.
UN nuclear watchdog IAEA is due to issue a report on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station amid growing fears of catastrophe as the Ukraine and Russia conflict enters 195th day
Follow our live updates: 👇 pic.twitter.com/Nqx4Zuzpwd
'Radiation catastrophe' nears as Zaporizhzhia shelled – Zelenskyy
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned of a near "radiation catastrophe" and said the Zaporizhzhia nuclelar plant shelling showed Russia "does not care what the IAEA will say."
The UN nuclear watchdog is due to issue a report on the nuclear power station on Tuesday.
The nuclear concerns add to the ongoing energy fight between Moscow and the West since Russian troops assaulted Ukraine in late February as the larger military conflict continues.
Ukraine and Russia have accused each other of risking nuclear disaster by shelling near Europe's largest nuclear plant, which officials said disrupted power lines on Monday and took the sole remaining reactor offline for the second time in two weeks, raising fears of catastrophe.
For live updates from Monday (September 5), click here
Source: TRTWorld and agencies
