Ukraine war: Serious situation at the Zaporizhia nuclear plant - "Something catastrophic could happen"
Created: 07/09/2022 04:58
By: Nadja Austel, Nail Akkoyun
President Putin wants to make a statement in a speech on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the situation at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant is serious: the news ticker on September 6th.
IAEA report:
Russia stores military equipment at Zaporizhia nuclear plant after all
Putin speech expected:
The Russian President wants to speak on Wednesday in Vladivostok
Ukrainian counter-offensive:
Heavy attacks in the Cherson area
Editor
's note: You can read all the news about the Ukraine conflict in this news ticker.
Some of the information comes from warring factions in the Ukraine war and cannot be checked directly and independently.
+++ 11.05 p.m .:
After his trip to the endangered Ukrainian nuclear power plant Zaporizhia, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA raised the alarm in front of the World Security Council.
"We are playing with fire and something very, very catastrophic could happen," said IAEA chief Rafael Grossi on Tuesday in New York.
The shelling of the building is extremely dangerous.
Military vehicles in the facility's buildings would have to be removed, Grossi said.
The external power supply of the reactors must also be ensured in order to ensure, among other things, the cooling of the nuclear power plant.
IAEA chief Rafael Mariano Grossi speaks to journalists as his team of experts prepares to visit the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant.
© Andriy Andriyenko/AP/dpa
News about the Ukraine war: Russia is running out of weapons – “severe supply bottlenecks”
+++ 10:25 p.m .:
In view of difficulties in the supply of armaments, Russia is buying large quantities of missiles and artillery ammunition from North Korea, according to the United States.
Corresponding inquiries to Pyongyang, about which one has "indications", point to "continuing serious supply bottlenecks" in the Russian military, said a spokesman for the Ministry of Defense in Washington.
The problems are "partly due to export restrictions and sanctions" by Western countries.
"We assume that things are looking pretty bad for Russia in this regard," the Pentagon spokesman added.
With the purchase of armaments from internationally isolated North Korea, Moscow could violate UN resolutions.
In recent weeks, thanks to longer-range missile systems supplied by Western allies, Ukraine has managed to target dozens of behind-the-line Russian ammunition depots.
Western sanctions have also made it difficult for Russia to obtain the components it needs to manufacture spare parts, including computer chips.
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News from the Ukraine war: IAEA confirms Russian military equipment at the nuclear power plant
+++ 8.10 p.m .:
The IAEA report on security at the Zaporizhia NPP published on Tuesday confirms “the presence of Russian military personnel, vehicles and equipment at various locations at the Zaporizhia NPP, including several military vehicles on the ground floor of the turbine halls of Unit 1 and Unit 2 ' reports
European Pravda.
The Russian defense minister had previously assured that no Russian military equipment was on the premises.
The IAEA specifically recommends that "fire on and around the site should cease immediately to avoid further damage to the facility and associated facilities," requiring "the consent of all relevant parties."
However, no information is given as to which side the fire came from.
The IAEA report on the situation at Zaporizhia NPP confirms the presence of Russian military personnel, vehicles and equipment.
(IAEA archive image) © IMAGO/IAEA
The agency requires "the removal of vehicles from areas that could affect the operation of safety and security systems and facilities."
Another recommendation is the "immediate establishment of a nuclear protection zone" around the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant.
“The situation in Ukraine is unprecedented.
It is the first time that a military conflict has taken place within the facilities of a large, well-established nuclear power program,” the report stressed.
Ukraine war: Putin's speech eagerly awaited
+++ 17:55:
More than half a year after the invasion of Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to take a stand.
The Kremlin chief's appearance was announced for Wednesday (September 7) at 7 a.m. (CEST) as part of the economic forum in Vladivostok.
The statement is eagerly awaited by both opponents of the war and Putin's supporters.
According to presidential adviser Yuri Ushakov, Putin wants to talk about fundamental changes in world politics and underpin his thesis that the West is losing power and meaning.
+++ 5.03 p.m
.: The announced report of the inspectors of the IAEA is available.
In view of ongoing armed conflicts near the Ukrainian nuclear power plant Zaporizhia occupied by Russian troops, the situation on site was classified as "unsustainable".
In the report on the situation around the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, the IAEA called for the establishment of a "safety zone".
The 52-page paper follows an inspection of the nuclear power plant by an IAEA mission that began last Thursday.
News in the Ukraine war: S-300 rocket hits residential building in Kharkiv
+++ 4.40 p.m .: According to the
Kyiv Independent
, Ukraine
continues to shell Russian pontoon bridges in the Cherson region.
The operational command "South" of the Ukrainian armed forces reported that they had fired on two floating bridges owned by Russian troops near Darivka and Hola Prystan.
All Russian pontoon bridges in the region are within range of the Ukrainian guns, the news portal reports via Twitter.
Meanwhile, an S-300 missile hit a residential building in Kharkiv, the
Kyiv Independent
reports .
According to the regional rescue service, three people were rescued from the partially destroyed building after a fire broke out in it.
In addition, Dmytro Orlov, the mayor of the city of Enerhodar, where the Zaporizhia NPP is located, said that as a result of an explosion at 12:20 the city was not only without electricity, but also without running water.
News about the Ukraine war – Zaporizhia nuclear plant: Shell impact on the water reservoir?
+++ 3.45 p.m .:
According to the
Agence-France Presse (afp)
news agency , Moscow accuses Kiev of “raising the risk of a man-made disaster” in view of the last firefights at the Zaporizhia nuclear plant.
According to the Russian information, three grenades were fired at the area of the power plant.
One of them exploded near a water reservoir near a reactor.
Radioactivity at the site is currently within norms, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
Meanwhile, fears of an incident at the nuclear power plant are growing.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors' report was announced for Tuesday.
News in the Ukraine war: power failure after shelling near Zaporizhia nuclear plant
+++ 2.20 p.m .:
After another artillery shelling at the southern Ukrainian nuclear power plant Zaporizhia, there was a power failure in the nearby city of Enerhodar.
Both the occupation authorities deployed by Russia and the mayor Dmytro Orlov, who fled the city, confirmed the incident on Tuesday in the Telegram news service.
According to crew representative Vladimir Rogov, there were seven hits in the area of the power plant training center.
A reactor should nevertheless continue to supply 150 megawatts for the internal requirements of the cooling systems.
On Monday, the Ukrainian power plant operator Enerhoatom first announced that there had been an emergency shutdown in the sixth and last unit still in operation.
Later, however, Kyiv reported to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that after a forced disconnection from the Ukrainian grid, the power plant's electricity needs would continue to be met by an operating reactor.
Russia's Defense Ministry on Tuesday accused Ukraine of shelling Zaporizhia 15 times in the past 24 hours.
In return, Kyiv repeatedly blames the Russian troops, who have been occupying the nuclear power plant since early March, for attacks on the site.
As a rule, the information provided by both sides cannot be independently verified.
News about the Ukraine war: Heavy Ukrainian attacks in the Cherson region
+++ 1.15 p.m .:
While the Ukrainian armed forces continue their offensive in the southern region of Kherson, Russian media are reporting heavy bombardments around the city of Nova Kakhovka on the Dnipro River.
The Russian-backed administration of Nowa Kakhovka said on Tuesday that the city was again being shelled with rockets from Ukrainian forces.
It was the eighth air raid alert in one day.
The Russian news
agency RIA Novosti
quoted Russia's chief administrator Vladimir Leontyev as saying: "There were 74 rockets during the night, the shelling continued in the morning, hitting the road infrastructure and the hydroelectric power station." However, most of the rockets were from the air defenses intercepted.
In addition to a strategically important hydroelectric power station, Nowa Kakhovka also has a larger bridge over the Dnipro River, which was frequently attacked by Ukrainian air raids and artillery.
The bridge is now considered impassable.
Ukraine War News: Russian Military Morale and Discipline Problems?
+++ 12.25 p.m .:
According to the British Ministry of Defence, the Russian armed forces suffer from “moral and discipline problems” in addition to combat fatigue and high losses.
The troops' main complaints remain over pay, according to the
Guardian
, including the fact that "significant amounts of combat bonuses" are not being paid, according to the newspaper's latest report by British intelligence on the situation in war zones.
News about the Ukraine war: Russia lacks reconnaissance drones
+++ 11.30 a.m .:
According to British intelligence experts, a lack of reconnaissance drones is making it increasingly difficult for Russian troops to operate in Ukraine.
This emerges from the daily update on the Ukraine war from the Ministry of Defense in London on Tuesday.
"Given battlefield casualties, it is likely that Russia will struggle to maintain its UAV inventories," the statement said on Twitter.
This is exacerbated by the shortage of spare parts caused by international sanctions.
"The limited availability of reconnaissance drones is likely to reduce the commanders' tactical awareness of the situation and increasingly impede operations," according to the British assessment.
News about the Ukraine war: Great Britain and Germany want to negotiate about financing
+++ Tuesday, September 6, April 10:
Moscow/Kiev – British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace plans to travel to Germany this week to discuss long-term financing for Ukraine with the government.
This was announced by the British Ministry of Defense on Twitter.
Meanwhile, the situation remains extremely tense after another emergency shutdown of the Ukrainian nuclear power plant Zaporizhia, which is occupied by Russian forces.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Moscow that Europe's largest nuclear power plant was "just one step away from a nuclear catastrophe" for the second time because of Russian provocations.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) intends to report on Tuesday (September 6) on the results of its fact-finding mission to Zaporizhia.
(nak/na with dpa/afp)
