Ukraine has accused Russia of preparing to stage a “provocation” at Europe’s largest nuclear power plant on Friday.
The country’s intelligence agency made the statement just hours after Moscow claimed there was a risk of a nuclear disaster at the facility, accusing Ukraine of planning an “accident” there during the visit of UN secretary-general in the war-torn nation.
Located in southeastern Ukraine, the Zaporizhzhia plant was captured by Russia in the early days of the war and has been repeatedly attacked in recent weeks.
Both sides have pointed the finger at each other for bombing.
Ukraine News Live: Russia calls nuclear power plant demilitarization proposal ‘unacceptable’
Russia’s defense ministry claimed Ukraine would stage a “minor accident” and “provocation” – and blame them – to coincide with Antonio Guterres’ trip.
The UN chief is expected to visit the Black Sea port of Odesa on Friday, where grain exports have resumed under a UN-brokered deal.
He met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in the western city of Lviv during his visit on Thursday.
What was discussed at the meeting?
The trio discussed efforts to de-escalate the war, speed up grain exports and Zaporizhzhia’s nuclear situation.
After the meeting, Guterres called for the demilitarization of the plant and said he was very concerned about the situation around it.
“The facility should not be used as part of any military operation. Instead, an urgent agreement is needed to restore the purely civilian infrastructure of Zaporizhzhia and to ensure the security of the area,” he said.
Image: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
The Ukrainian president added that he had agreed on the parameters for a possible International Atomic Energy Agency mission to the plant.
Guterres has called for an end to the fighting near the power plant, and the head of Russia’s chemical and biological defense forces, Igor Kirillov, said security support systems had already been damaged by the bombing.
He said any accident would mean radioactive material would reach Germany, Slovakia and Poland.
Russia’s defense ministry has also warned that the plant could be shut down if the bombing continues.
Ukraine says it is being used as a base to attack and that Russian heavy artillery is positioned in and around the power plant, which the Kremlin denies.
Kyiv also claims that Russia has hit the same facility to blame Ukraine for the power outages.
Erdogan said he discussed possible ways to end the war during the trilateral meeting.
He added that the three leaders discussed using the positive atmosphere created by a grain export deal in July to establish lasting peace.
After the meeting, Guterres said 21 ships had left Ukrainian ports under the agreement in less than a month, and 15 ships had left Istanbul to load grain and other supplies from country food
Image: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan with Messrs. Zelenskyy and Guterres
Seven people dead and 16 injured
Fears over the nuclear situation come as more deaths are reported in the six-month war.
On Wednesday evening, seven people were killed and 16 injured in bombings in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, according to emergency services.
Another person was killed and 18 others were injured early Thursday in a separate residential area of the city, regional governor Oleh Synehubov said.
Meanwhile, in other battlefield developments, Ukrainian forces said they had killed 29 “occupiers” and destroyed artillery, vehicles and a supply depot near Bilohirka, northeast of Kherson in southern Ukraine.
Image: Bombings have continued to hit Kharkiv
Black Sea Fleet Commander ‘Fired’
The head of Russia’s Black Sea fleet has also reportedly been replaced following a series of explosions in Crimea last week blamed on saboteurs.
Russian news agency RIA reported that sources confirmed that Igor Osipov had been expelled and replaced by Viktor Sokolov. If confirmed, it would be one of the most high-profile lootings of the war.
It follows Ukraine’s humiliating sinking of the Kremlin’s flagship cruiser, the Moskva, in April.
Ukraine’s presidential adviser, Oleksiy Arestovych, has said the fighting has reached a “strategic stalemate,” with Russia making “minimal progress” and Ukraine regaining some ground.
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