The Ukrainian counteroffensive continued to make progress Saturday, but an uptick in fighting near Europe’s largest nuclear power plant again raised concerns for the United Nations atomic watchdog.
Geolocated images show that Kiev forces made “new advances” in several cities in the western section of the Zaporizhzhia region of southern Ukraine, which was occupied by Russia in the first months of the war and is home to a power plant that has been a major cause of concern for months, according to the US-based Institute for the Study of War.
To the east, Ukraine recently recaptured the village of Robotyne, one of the biggest victories in its four-month offensive.
The images also show that Ukraine made “marginal gains” near Klishchiivka, a village southwest of Bakhmut, a town that has seen some of the most intense and long-lasting battles of the war and was captured by Russia in May.
As Ukraine advanced, intensifying fighting near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant also raised fears about a possible nuclear disaster.
Ukraine has made slow progress as part of its counterattack, but fighting near Ukraine’s nuclear power plant has caused concern. Via REUTERS
The International Atomic Energy Agency said its experts stationed at the Russian-occupied site reported hearing multiple explosions over the past week, although they did not cause any damage to the plant.
“I remain deeply concerned about the possible dangers facing the plant at this time of heightened military tension in the region,” IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi warned in a statement.
The nuclear plant’s staff was temporarily reduced to minimum levels due to increased fighting, Grossi added.
“Whatever happens in a conflict zone, wherever it is, everyone would lose from a nuclear accident, and I urge that all necessary precautions be taken to prevent this from happening,” Grossi said.
Experts expressed concern over the possibility of a nuclear disaster at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant amid intensifying fighting. REUTERS
Ahead of the latest developments in the region, the IAEA has repeatedly expressed concern about a possible radiation leak from the facility, which shut down six reactors months ago but still needs power and personnel to operate cooling systems and other safety protocols. .
Meanwhile, Russia has continued to launch artillery strikes across Ukraine, including Kryvy Righ, a city in the central part of the country.
Mykhailo Podolyak, advisor to President Volodymyr Zelensky, posted a video to
“Classic terrorism, Russian style,” Podolyak wrote.
Police cars are seen at the site of a Russian missile attack amid the Russian attack on Ukraine, in Kryvyi Rih. Via REUTERS
Russia also shelled the village of Kostobobriv, which is located on the country’s northern border near Russia, wounding one person, according to Ukrainian news outlet Ukrinform.
Moscow has also been using artillery to prevent its own troops from withdrawing, a captured Russian soldier said.
The Russian soldier, who was captured during the fighting near Robotyne, claimed that as his unit attempted to retreat, his own army began firing artillery shells right behind them, creating a wall of fire, Euromaiden Press reported.
The soldier claimed that attacks from his own country were what injured him and killed his friends.
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that Ukraine lost 66,000 soldiers and 7,600 tanks and other armored vehicles during the last three months of its counteroffensive, a figure that is reportedly exaggerated because Ukraine did not even have that many soldiers and vehicles involved in the counteroffensive. .
“[Russian Defense Minister Sergei] “Shoigu claimed that Russian forces have destroyed a greatly exaggerated amount of Ukrainian military personnel and equipment since the counteroffensive began in June 2023,” according to a recent update from Critical Threats, a project created by the American Enterprise Institute.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn