tag

Russia's Foreign Ministry has commended Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), for his efforts in establishing a "calm" around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, following successful international mediation that enabled a safe environment for essential maintenance work. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Moscow had secured security guarantees from Ukraine to restore external power to the facility, an arrangement that had previously been unattainable. Zakharova noted that Russia raised the issue with Grossi, who engaged in intensive mediation efforts. After extended consultations, those efforts resulted in what she described as a "calm regime" that allowed repair work to begin. She also referenced a September 23 incident in which the Dniprovska power station was reportedly struck by Ukrainian forces, cutting off electricity to the nuclear plant and forcing it to rely on backup diesel generators to maintain critical systems. Repair crews began work on October 18, and the restoration of the damaged power line is expected to take several days. Zakharova emphasized Grossi's pivotal role in the process and expressed hope for continued constructive cooperation to ensure the safety and security of nuclear facilities in the region.

Ukraine said on Sunday that a Russian attack on Zaporizhzhia had killed one person, as Poland said it had scrambled jets to secure its airspace. Ivan Fedorov, the head of the southeastern Ukrainian region, said on Telegram that a Russian "combined strike" had killed a woman and wounded nine other people.A 16-year-old girl was among those receiving "necessary assistance" from medical personnel after the attack, Fedorov said. He posted photos, seemingly from the site of the attack, showing a partly destroyed multi-storey block and a burnt-out car.A nationwide air alert was in place across Ukraine as of 4:09 am (0109 GMT). Poland's armed forces said on X that they had mobilised planes and put ground defences on high alert to secure the country's airspace, especially in areas close to Ukraine.The mayor of Lviv, a western Ukrainian city near the border with Poland, said public transport routes were not operating due to a "massive enemy attack". Public transport in Ivano-Frankivsk, another western city, would "start running later than usual" on Sunday, its mayor said.Russia has also stepped up its attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure as the weather chills. Fedorov said on Sunday that Russia's overnight attack left "more than 73,000 consumers... without electricity" in Zaporizhzhia, and the Lviv mayor said part of the city had no power.This week, Moscow launched its largest-ever strike on Ukraine's gas infrastructure, while strikes on Saturday cut off power to around 50,000 households in the northern Chernigiv region.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized the gravity of the situation at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, following a complete power outage about a week ago. Zelenskyy added, in a video address, that one of the emergency power generators had gone out of service seven days after the external power lines were cut off. "This is the seventh day. There has never before been such an emergency situation at the Zaporizhzhia plant. The situation is critical. Russian shelling has cut the plant off from the electricity network," Zelenskyy said. "We have information that one of the diesel generators has stopped working," he added. The Zaporizhzhia plant, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, has been under Russian control since March 2022, about a month after the outbreak of the Russian military operation in Ukraine. However, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regularly deploys a team of experts at the site. The plant has previously been targeted by strikes, causing eight power outages. The plant is in a delicate situation, raising fears of a major nuclear accident. Kyiv and Moscow are trading accusations of planning to cause an accident at the site.