All eyes are on the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, located in southern Ukraine. Moscow accused, Monday, August 8, kyiv of bombing the plant occupied by its troops. The Kremlin also pointed out that the bombing of the power plant “could have catastrophic consequences for a vast area, including European territory”.
For his part, the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, raised the specter of the Chernobyl disaster. “The world must not forget” the greatest nuclear disaster in history, because “It’s the explosion of a reactor and the Zaporijjia power plant has six reactors”he hammered in a video posted on social networks in the evening.
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Concerns around the Zaporizhia power plant
The two belligerents have accused each other since Friday of bombing this plant. “We continue to call on Russia to cease all military operations in and around Ukrainian nuclear power plants and to return control of them to Ukraine”, urged the White House on Monday. Washington claimed that“fortunately, we have no indication of an abnormal increase in radioactivity levels”.
“Any attack on nuclear power plants is a suicidal thing”warned UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. “I hope these attacks will end. At the same time, I hope the IAEA can gain access to the plant”.
A referendum in preparation in the province of Zaporizhia
In the province of Zaporijia, partly occupied, the authorities appointed by Moscow have officially announced that they are starting preparations for the organization of a referendum on its attachment to Russia. The day before, Volodymyr Zelensky had warned the Russians against such “referendums”warning them that if they persist in this way, “they will close themselves off from any possibility of negotiations with Ukraine and the free world, which they will certainly need at some point”.
Grain convoys continue
At the same time, the regular rotations to supply world agricultural markets which began last week have continued. A freighter loaded with 60,000 tons of cereals left for the first time since the start of the war Pivdenny, one of the three Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea concerned by the agreement signed by the belligerents on July 22. The Ukrainian Ministry of Infrastructure hopes “achieve a rate of three to five ships per day” leaving the country within two weeks.
disarmament treaty undermined
In the midst of a Russian offensive in Ukraine, Moscow “officially informed” Washington on Monday that all Russian military sites subject to American inspections under the New Start disarmament treaty would be “temporarily exemptThese include missile firing bases, as well as air and naval bases where nuclear devices are located.
As a reminder, New Start, which limits the arsenals of the two main nuclear powers on the planet to a maximum of 1,550 deployed warheads each, is the last bilateral agreement of its kind which still binds Washington and Moscow.
New aid released for Ukraine
Washington announced a billion dollars in new military aid to kyiv. This new support includes ammunition for the Himars precision artillery systems, short and medium range missiles for the Nasams air defense systems, as well as the fearsome Javelin anti-tank weapons. For its part, the World Bank has announced that it will provide 4.5 billion dollars to Ukraine thanks to funds provided by the United States, in order to help the government to face the “urgent needs created by the war”.
A new report disclosed by Washington
In total, according to the Pentagon, “70,000 to 80,000 soldiers” Russians have been killed or injured since the invasion of Ukraine began on February 24. According Colin Kahl, the number 3 of the Pentagon, the Ukrainian forces have also suffered heavy losses, but he did not give precise figures. For its part, kyiv reported at least 10,000 dead and 30,000 wounded among its troops.