London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Feb 22, 2025

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
Good News: Senate Confirms Kash Patel as FBI Director
Officials from the U.S. and Hungary Engage in Talks on Economic Collaboration and Sanctions Strategy
James Bond Franchise Transitions to Amazon MGM Studios
Technology Giants Ramp Up Lobbying Initiatives Against Strict EU Regulations
Alibaba Exceeds Quarterly Projections Fueled by Growth in Cloud and AI
Tequila Sector Faces Surplus Crisis as Agave Prices Dive Sharply
Residents of Flintshire Mobile Home Park Grapple with Maintenance Issues and Uncertain Future
Ronan Keating Criticizes Irish Justice System Following Fatal Crash Involving His Brother
Gordon Ramsay's Lucky Cat Restaurant Faces Unprecedented Theft
Israeli Family Mourns Loss of Peace Advocate Oded Lifschitz as Body Returned from Gaza
Former UK Defense Chief Calls for Enhanced European Support for Ukraine
Pope Francis Admitted to Hospital in Rome Amid Rising Succession Speculation
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, at the age of 83, Declares His Retirement.
Whistleblower Reveals Whitehall’s Focus on Kabul Animal Airlift Amid Crisis
Politicians Who Deliberately Lie Could Face Removal from Office in Wales
Scottish Labour Faces Challenges Ahead of 2026 Holyrood Elections
Leftwing Activists Less Likely to Work with Political Rivals, Study Finds
Boris Johnson to Host 'An Evening with Boris Johnson' at Edinburgh's Usher Hall
Planned Change in British Citizenship Rules Faces First Legal Challenge
Northumberland Postal Worker Sentenced for Sexual Assaults During Deliveries
British Journalist Missing in Brazil for 11 Days
Tesco Fixes Website Glitch That Disrupted Online Grocery Orders
Amnesty International Critiques UK's Predictive Policing Practices
Burglar Jailed After Falling into Home-Made Trap in Blyth
Sellafield Nuclear Site Exits Special Measures for Physical Security Amid Ongoing Cybersecurity Concerns
Avian Influenza Impact on Seals in Norfolk: Four Deaths Confirmed
First Arrest Under Scotland's Abortion Clinic Buffer Zone Law Amidst International Controversy
Meghan Markle Rebrands Lifestyle Venture as 'As Ever' Ahead of Netflix Series Launch
Inter-Island Ferry Services Between Guernsey and Jersey Set to Expand
Significant Proportion of Cancer Patients in England and Wales Not Receiving Recommended Treatments
Final Consultation Launched for Vyrnwy Frankton Power Line Project
Drug Misuse Deaths in Scotland Rise by 12% in 2023
Failed £100 Million Cocaine Smuggling Operation in the Scottish Highlands
Central Cee Equals MOBO Awards Record; Bashy and Ayra Starr Among Top Honorees
EastEnders: Four Decades of Challenging Social Norms
Jonathan Bailey Channels 'Succession' in Bold Richard II Performance
Northern Ireland's First Astronaut Engages in Rigorous Spacewalk Training
Former Postman Sentenced for Series of Sexual Offences in Northumberland
Record Surge in Anti-Muslim Hate Crimes Across the UK in 2024
Omagh Bombing Inquiry Concludes Commemorative Hearings with Survivor Testimonies
UK Government Introduces 'Ronan's Law' to Combat Online Knife Sales to Minors
Metal Detectorists Unearth 15th-Century Coin Hoard in Scottish Borders
Woman Charged in 1978 Death of Five-Year-Old Girl in South London
Expanding Sinkhole in Godstone, Surrey, Forces Evacuations and Road Closures
Bangor University Announces Plans to Cut 200 Jobs Amid £15 Million Savings Target
British Journalist Charlotte Peet Reported Missing in Brazil
UK Inflation Rises to 3% in January Amid Higher Food Prices and School Fees
Starmer Defends Zelensky Amidst Trump's 'Dictator' Allegation
Zelensky Calls on World Leaders to Back Peace Efforts in Light of Strains with Trump
UK Prime minister, Mr. Keir Starmer, has stated that any peace agreement aimed at ending the conflict in Ukraine "MUST" include a US security guarantee to deter Russian aggression
×