Day 187: IAEA Mission to Zaporizhzhia 'On Its Way'; Russia's FSB Identifies Second Alleged Perpetrator in Darya Dugina Murder
Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said on Mon. he will lead a mission to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) in Ukraine's south later this week. The plant has been under the control of Russian forces since the first days of the war.
Facts
- Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said on Mon. he will lead a mission to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) in Ukraine's south later this week. The plant has been under the control of Russian forces since the first days of the war.
- Grossi said: "The day has come, IAEA's Support and Assistance Mission to Zaporizhzhia is now on its way. We must protect the safety and security of Ukraine's and Europe's biggest nuclear facility. Proud to lead this mission which will be in ZNPP later this week."
- The announcement comes amid renewed attacks on the plant and intensified fighting in the region. On Sun., Russian officials said six shells fired by Ukrainian forces fell in the area of the power unit and pumping station for the sixth reactor. Russian officials also reported that they had shot down a Ukrainian kamikaze drone over the site, which hit the roof of an unspecified building. There were no injuries or structural damage, officials said.
- Enerhodar, the Russian-controlled city in the Zaporizhzhia region where the ZNPP is located, also reportedly came under Ukrainian fire on Sunday. Local officials said seven people were injured. Meanwhile, Russian attacks continued to be reported in Nikopol and Marhanets in the Dnipropetrovsk region - located six miles (10 km) north of the ZNPP and separated from it by the Dnieper River. One civilian was reportedly killed and four more were injured.
- Russian attacks were also reported on Zaporizhzhia city, roughly 25 miles (40km) north of the nuclear plant, as well as other areas of Zaporizhzhia Oblast, reportedly injuring three people. Russian attacks were also recorded in the regions of Sumy, Rivne and Kharkiv but there were no reports of civilian injuries. In Donetsk, eight civilians were killed and seven more were injured in Russian shelling, Ukrainian officials said.
- Elsewhere, Russia's state intelligence service, the FSB, on Mon. accused another Ukrainian citizen, Bogdan Tsyganenko, of involvement with the car bomb that killed Darya Dugina in the outskirts of Moscow on Aug. 20. Last week, the FSB released video footage that allegedly connected Natalia Vovk with the murder, and alleged that "the crime was prepared and committed by Ukrainian secret services."
Sources: Associated Press, and Pravda.
Narratives
- Anti-Russia narrative, as provided by Daily Beast. Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine has turned the territory around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant into a war zone, placing the world at risk of nuclear catastrophe. Russia must unconditionally leave the plant and let officials from the IAEA permanently take control of the situation.
- Pro-Russia narrative, as provided by Tass. Contrary to mainstream portrayal, Russia has for months stressed the importance of an IAEA mission to Zaporizhzhia. This development is welcome amid what amounts to nuclear terrorism by Ukraine's forces. While Kyiv continues to bomb the plant, and its Western backers' attempt to disrupt the attendance of IAEA inspectors, Moscow has been seeking to secure the safety of the plant.
