London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Mar 13, 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
Asian Energy Security Tested as Strait of Hormuz Disruption Threatens Oil Supplies
Iran Sets Three Conditions for Ending Regional War as Diplomatic Efforts Intensify
Tesla Secures Approval to Supply Electricity Directly to Homes Across Britain
Prince William Delivers Tribute to Australia’s Naval Alliance Amid Renewed Royal Spotlight on the Country
UK Foreign Secretary Travels to Saudi Arabia to Reinforce Support for Regional Allies
Putin’s ‘Hidden Hand’ May Be Assisting Iran in Conflict With Trump, UK Defence Secretary Warns
UK Sets April Deadline for Tech Platforms to Strengthen Online Protections for Children
Elon Musk Moves Into Britain’s Energy Market as Tesla Wins Licence to Supply Power
UK Watchdog Warns Fuel Retailers Against Profiteering Amid Iran War Price Surge
Report Claims Iran Used UK Charity Network to Expand Influence
United States and United Kingdom Establish Joint Standards for Counter-Drone Technology
Iran May Be Laying Naval Mines in Strait of Hormuz, UK Warns Amid Escalating Gulf Tensions
US Deploys Bunker-Buster Bombs to UK Airbase as Iran Conflict Intensifies
British Troops in Iraq Intercept Iranian Drones Targeting Coalition Base
Release of Mandelson Files Raises Tensions as UK Seeks Stable Relations With Donald Trump
UK Documents Reveal Starmer Was Warned About Mandelson’s Epstein Links Before Ambassador Appointment
Nearly Five Hundred UK Mortgage Deals Withdrawn in Two Days as Market Volatility Forces Lenders to Reprice
Three Cargo Ships Hit Near Iran as Attacks Spread to Strategic Strait of Hormuz
Why British Police Repeatedly Declined to Investigate Jeffrey Epstein’s UK Links
UK Parliament Ends Hereditary Seats in House of Lords, Closing Chapter on Centuries of Aristocratic Lawmaking
EU and UK Urge Israel to Act Against Rising West Bank Settler Violence Amid Regional Tensions
US Senator John Kennedy Says Keir Starmer Should Not Be Trusted for Military Advice Amid Iran War Debate
UK High Court Rejects Attempt to Revive Terrorism Charge Against Kneecap Rapper
Revolut Secures Full UK Banking Licence After Multi-Year Regulatory Wait
Kentucky’s Bench Boost Powers Wildcats Past LSU in SEC Tournament Opener
British Couple Die After Being Pulled From Water at Australian Beach During Family Visit
Global Energy Agency Announces Record Release of 400 Million Barrels to Stabilize Oil Markets Amid Hormuz Disruption
British Airways Suspends UK Repatriation Flights as Middle East Travel Disruption Deepens
US Forces Prepare Ordnance at RAF Fairford as Strategic Bombers Deploy for Middle East Operations
Nigel Farage Faces Criticism After Saying Britain Should Stay Out of Iran War
Landmark UK Trial Begins Over Sony’s PlayStation Store Pricing
UK High Court Rejects Bid to Challenge Britain’s Chagos Islands Agreement With Mauritius
Finnish Duo Triumphs in England’s Annual Wife-Carrying Race, Winning a Barrel of Ale
How U.S. and UK National Security Strategies Are Reshaping the Global Business Landscape
Green Party Gains Momentum as Labour Shifts Toward the Political Centre
Royal Navy Destroyer HMS Dragon Sets Sail for Eastern Mediterranean as Regional Tensions Rise
UK Homebuilder Persimmon Warns Iran Conflict Could Dent Property Buyer Confidence
Roman Abramovich Signals Legal Fight if UK Seeks to Seize Chelsea Sale Funds
UK Ready to Back Emergency Oil Reserve Release as Middle East Conflict Pushes Prices Higher
Study of 40,000 Articles Sparks Debate Over Alleged Anti-Muslim Bias in UK Media
US and UK Army Chiefs Strengthen Cooperation on the Future of Armored Warfare
Britain’s Search for the Next ARM Intensifies as Startups and Investors Target the Semiconductor Frontier
Three US Strategic Bombers Arrive at RAF Fairford as Iran Conflict Intensifies
Cancer Death Rates in the UK Fall to the Lowest Level on Record
UK Government Bond Yields Retreat Slightly After Sharp Spike Triggered by Middle East Conflict
UK Chancellor Warns Middle East War Could Push Inflation Higher
UK Prime Minister Warns Iran Conflict Could Drive Up Prices and Threaten Economic Stability
Trump Declines UK Offer to Deploy Aircraft Carriers to Middle East Amid Iran Conflict
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to Return to Australia After Seven Years for Philanthropic and Business Engagements
UK Government Signals Independence From Washington as Cooper Says Britain Does Not Agree With Trump on Every Issue
×