London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Oct 17, 2026

Ukraine war: Allies seek more security at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant

Ukraine war: Allies seek more security at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant

Britain, France, Germany and the US have stressed the need to ensure the safety of nuclear installations threatened by the conflict in Ukraine.

In a phone call on Sunday, the four leaders also reiterated their support for Ukraine against Russia's invasion.

Moscow and Kyiv have accused each other of shelling a Russian-held nuclear plant, raising fears of a catastrophe.

Meanwhile, President Volodymyr Zelensky urged Ukrainians to be vigilant ahead of Independence Day celebrations.

"Russia could try to do something particularly disgusting, particularly cruel," he said in a weekend address.

"One of the key objectives of the enemy is to humiliate us," he added, but "we have to be strong enough to resist all provocation".

Ukraine's Independence Day on Wednesday, 24 August, will also mark six months since Russia invaded Ukraine.

The conflict was the subject of a conference call on Sunday bringing together the UK's Boris Johnson, US President Joe Biden, his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

Following its conclusion, they urged military restraint around the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station in southern Ukraine, where renewed fighting has led to fears of disaster worse than that in Chernobyl in 1986.

The leaders welcomed a deal - approved by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday - to allow UN inspectors to visit the plant at a future date.

The four leaders also said they had "agreed that support for Ukraine in its defence against Russian aggression would be sustained".

Ukraine reported more missile strikes on Sunday, notably in the town of Nikopol, near the Zaporizhzhia power station.

On Saturday, a fresh drone attack targeted Russia's Black Sea fleet in the city of Sevastopol in Russian-annexed Crimea. The Russian authorities there said a Ukrainian drone had been shot down.

Several drone strikes have been reported in Crimea in recent days, including one on an airbase near Sevastopol on Thursday and another on the harbour on Friday.

Earlier in the month, nine Russian jets were destroyed at a Russian military base on Crimea's western coast.

The peninsula was invaded and annexed by Russia in 2014 and Ukraine has vowed to retake it. However, Kyiv has not confirmed or denied involvement in the recent attacks.

In Russia itself, the daughter of a close ally of President Putin, the ultra-nationalist philosopher Alexander Dugin, was killed in a suspected car bombing late on Saturday.

Darya Dugina, 29, died after an explosion on a road outside Moscow.

It is thought her father, who is known as "Putin's brain", may have been the intended target of the attack.

Both had been guests at a patriotic festival. Aleksandr Dugin's writing about the need to restore the Russian empire is believed to have inspired President Putin.



Footage appears to show smoke rising from an area in Sevastopol where Russia's Black Sea fleet is based


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Former UUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson sentenced to 15 years in prison for historical child sex offences
UK ministers adopt independent commission blueprint to fast-track AI in the NHS
Labour leadership orders local councillors to end power-sharing deals with Green Party
UK government considers regulatory intervention in proposed Sky and ITV merger
Environment Agency declares severe drought across six English regions as reservoirs hit critical lows
NHS England issues new guidance prohibiting transgender women from female-only wards
Norwegian teenager sentenced to 20 years for part of Iran-backed assassination plot in Britain
UK government threatens complete visa ban on Eritrea over refusal to accept deportees
UK Treasury lobbies UBS to move global headquarters to London amid banking sector tax threats
MI5 Warns of Growing Russian Sabotage and Espionage Threats Across Britain
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham Plans Brussels Talks to Renegotiate Post-Brexit Trade Deal
MI5 Warns of Rising Russian and Iranian Sabotage Threats to British Military Facilities
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham Pledges Closer EU Ties as MI5 Reveals Russian Brexit Interference
UK Orders Security Review Following Reported Killing of Former Politician Ann Widdecombe
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham Meets German Chancellor Merz to Strengthen European Security Ties
Nearly 100,000 NHS Patients Treated in Hospital Corridors as England Braces for Winter Pressures
UK Government Rejects US-Russia Diesel Agreement and Reaffirms Sanctions Against Moscow
UK and Germany Agree to Deepen Security and Economic Cooperation Following Berlin Talks
British Prime Minister Burnham Pledges Closer EU Ties During Visit to Germany
UK Announces New Sanctions on 17 Russia-Linked Entities During Foreign Secretary's Ukraine Visit
UK and Germany Finalize Kensington Treaty to Strengthen Defense and Technology Cooperation
Britain Maintains Diplomatic Mission in East Jerusalem Despite Israeli Closure Deadline
English Councils Push Government to Rethink Proposed Funding Cuts
Scottish Homebuilding Falls to Lowest Level in 11 Years
BBC Chief Matt Brittin Defends Restructuring as Staff Challenge Job Cuts
UK Finance Warns High Energy Costs and Bond Yields Are Complicating Fiscal Outlook
UK Adopts All 44 Recommendations on Regulating AI in Healthcare
Chancellor John Healey Prepares Autumn Budget as Borrowing Costs Strain Public Finances
UK Investigators See Strong Indications of Iranian Link After RAF Fairford Security Operation
Laura Trott Pledges Tighter Controls on Political Activism in UK Classrooms
Welsh Ministers Launch Long-Term Review of North Wales and Anglesey Crossings
Welsh Government Orders 18-Month Study of Road Solutions Around Newport
Reform UK MP Sarah Pochin Faces Scrutiny Over £800,000 Second Home Purchase
British Households Grow More Concerned About Fuel and Energy Prices
NHS Leaders Warn of Rising Winter Pressure on Emergency Departments
Kemi Badenoch Proposes £2.3 Billion Employer National Insurance Cut for Young Workers
Middle East Conflict Could Erase UK Fiscal Headroom, Economists Warn
Manchester City Found Guilty of Multiple Premier League Financial Rule Breaches
UK Security Services Find Strong Indications of Iranian Role in RAF Fairford Incident
Costa Coffee Returns to Operating Profit on Iced Drinks and Menu Changes
Asos Warns Customers After Unauthorized Access to Retail App and Data
Kemi Badenoch Puts Growth and Deregulation at Center of Conservative Conference
Campaigners Warn of Deepening Social Care Crisis for Disabled Adults
Study Finds Rising Early-Onset Cancer Rates Among Adults Under 50 in Britain
UK Coach Operators Warn High Diesel Prices Could Force Route Cuts
FCA Opens Independent Review Into Handling of Epstein-Linked Whistleblower Case
Argentina Vows to Block Falkland Islands Offshore Oil Development
UK Chancellor Prepares Fiscal Measures and Welfare Reforms Ahead of Autumn Budget
Sainsbury’s and Morrisons Explore Potential Multi-Billion-Pound Merger
UK Weighs Tariffs on Chinese Electric Vehicles to Align With European Union
×