The operator of Ukrainian nuclear power plants Energoatom warned on Saturday that the Zaporizhia power plant was now operating with the risk of radioactive leaks and fire, following bombardments which Ukrainians and Russians have accused each other of for several weeks. Franceinfo looks back on the highlights of Saturday August 27 on the war front in Ukraine.
London donates six underwater drones to Ukraine
The United Kingdom announced on Saturday that it would donate six underwater drones to Ukraine to help it neutralize Russian mines off its coast, and train Ukrainian soldiers in their use. These gears “light and autonomous are designed for use in shallow coastal areas, capable of operating up to 100 meters below sea level to detect, locate and identify mines (…) so that the Ukrainian Navy can neutralize them”the Ministry of Defense (MoD) said in a statement.
According to the same source, “dozens of members of the Ukrainian Navy will be trained to use these drones over the next few months, training has already started for the first of them”. The training will be provided by the United Kingdom and the United States. While some vessels carrying grain were able to leave Ukraine under the terms of an agreement obtained by the UN, these operations “remain limited by underwater mines left by Russian forces along the coast” of the country, said the United Kingdom. In May, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a tranche of 300 million pounds (355 million euros) of military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, following a previous plan of 450 million pounds, including the provision of missiles.
Ukraine denounces new strikes in Zaporizhia and warns of risk of radiation
Russian troops shelled the site “several times in the last day”said on Saturday on Telegram the Ukrainian national company Energyatom. “As a result of periodic bombardments, the infrastructure of the plant has been damaged and there are risks of hydrogen leakage and spraying of radioactive substances”she said, referring to“high fire risk”.
According to the operator, since Saturday noon, the central “operates with the risk of violating radiation and fire safety standards”. The day before, the Zaporizhia power plant had been connected to the Ukrainian electricity network, after being disconnected on Thursday “for the first time in its history”, due to damage to power lines caused by “shares” of “the invader” Russian.
Vladimir Putin signs a decree facilitating the stay of Ukrainians in Russia
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree that simplifies the stay and work of hundreds of thousands of people who have left Ukraine for Russia since the Kremlin’s military intervention. According to this news “temporary measures”published on Saturday, Ukrainian passport holders, as well as residents of the pro-Russian separatist territories of Donetsk and Lugansk in southeastern Ukraine, will be able to stay in Russia “without limitation of time”.
Until now, they could only officially stay in Russia for 90 days in a 180-day period. For longer stays, it was necessary to obtain a work permit or a special authorization. The persons concerned now have “the right to engage in professional activity in Russia without a work permit”, specifies the decree. However, to take advantage of this measure, they will have to submit to a fingerprinting, photo ID and drug and infectious disease screenings. The text also prohibits the expulsion from Russia of Ukrainian citizens, apart from those released from prison or deemed to threaten the security of Russia.