The consequences of the strikes near a reactor of the Ukrainian nuclear power plant in Zaporijjia are worrying the international community. Turkey, a country known as a mediator in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, announces that the Russian gas it buys will be paid for in rubles… Here’s what to remember from this Saturday, August 6.
The danger of the largest nuclear power plant in Europe worries
The security of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant is at the center of concerns, while a reactor has been shut down. The Ukrainian atomic energy company Energoatom said the bombings had “severely damaged” a station containing nitrogen and oxygen and a “auxiliary building”. “There are still risks of leaking hydrogen and radioactive substances, and the risk of fire is also high”she explained. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) ruled on Saturday “increasingly alarming” this information, highlighting a “real real risk of nuclear catastrophe”.
Ukraine and Russia blamed each other, with Ukraine citing two Russian strikes and Russia citing Ukrainian artillery fire. For its part, the European Union is raising its voice and “condemns Russia’s military activities around the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant. This is a serious and irresponsible breach of nuclear safety rules.”said Saturday the head of European diplomacy Josep Borell.
The grain convoy delayed
The ship carrying the first shipment of cereals exported by Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian invasion on February 24 will not dock in Lebanon on Sunday as planned, the Ukrainian embassy in this country told AFP on Saturday. . The embassy did not specify a new date, and explained that it did not have “other information” for the moment on the reasons for this postponement.
The Razoni, a freighter flying the Sierra Leonean flag, left the Ukrainian port of Odessa on the Black Sea on Monday with 26,000 tonnes of corn. Inspected by Turkish and Russian experts on Wednesday off Istanbul (Turkey), it was originally due to arrive at the port of Tripoli in northern Lebanon on Sunday at 10 a.m. Three other ships are also on their way to other destinations.
Turkey will pay for Russian gas in rubles
After his meeting with Vladimir Putin on Friday in Sochi (Russia), Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that deliveries of Russian gas to Turkey would be partly paid for in rubles, Turkish media reported on Saturday August 6. In 2021, Russia accounted for around a quarter of Turkey’s oil imports and 45% of its natural gas purchases.
Russia has been seeking for months to impose its currency in international settlements against the euro and the dollar. With this decision, Ankara continues to to warm up its relations with Moscow.
Resignation of the head of Amnesty
Oksana Pokalchuk, head of the NGO Amnesty International in Ukraine, announced her resignation after the publication of a NGO report accusing the Ukrainian armed forces of endangering civilians. She blames the report released Thursday of having unwittingly served “Russian propaganda” and for not including the response of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense in its investigation.