Live blog: Ukraine accuses Russia of plotting 'provocation' at Zaporizhzhia

Saturday, May 27, 2023

Ukraine's military intelligence has claimed that Russia is plotting a "large-scale provocation" at a nuclear power plant it controls in the southeast of the country with the aim of disrupting a looming Ukrainian counter-offensive.

A statement released by the intelligence directorate of Ukraine's Defence Ministry claimed that Russian forces would strike the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and then report a radioactive leak in order to trigger an international probe that would pause the hostilities and give the Russian forces the respite they need to regroup ahead of the counter-offensive.

In order to make that happen, Russia "disrupted the rotation of personnel of the permanent monitoring mission" of the United Nations' International Atomic Energy Agency that was scheduled for Saturday, the statement said. It didn't offer evidence to back up any of the claims.

The IAEA said in an emailed response to the AP news agency that it did not have any immediate comment on the allegations, and Russian officials did not immediately comment on the Ukrainian claims.

The White House said it is watching the situation closely and has seen no indication that radioactive material has been leaked.

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1743 GMT — Russia eases Bakhmut attacks: Ukraine

Russian forces have temporarily eased their attacks on the besieged eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut to regroup and strengthen their capabilities, Ukraine Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said in a statement on Telegram.

"Yesterday and today there have not been any active battles - neither in the city nor on the flanks," she wrote, adding that Moscow's troops were instead shelling the outskirts and approaches to Bakhmut.

"The decrease in the enemy's offensive activity is due to the fact that troops are being replaced and regrouped," Maliar said. "The enemy is trying to strengthen its own capabilities."

Russia's Wagner private army began handing over positions to regular troops this week after declaring full control of Bakhmut following the longest and bloodiest battle of the war.

1533 GMT — Two killed in shelling in Russian border regions: officials

Shelling in Russian regions bordering Ukraine has killed two people, regional authorities said.

The regional governor of Belgorod, which witnessed an unprecedented two-day incursion from Ukraine this week, said there were fresh attacks, a day after dozens of strikes.

"One person was killed. He was a security guard... he was outside at the time of the shelling" in the Shebekino area, Vyacheslav Gladkov said, adding that others were wounded, including a 15- and 17-year-old.

1257 GMT — Russian forces intercept two British Storm Shadow missiles

Russian forces have intercepted two long-range Storm Shadow cruise missiles supplied to Ukraine by Britain, according to Russia's Defence Ministry.

The ministry also said it had intercepted shorter-range US-built HIMARS-launched and HARM missiles, and shot down 12 drones in the last 24 hours.

Russia did not specify where the interceptions had taken place, but made the announcement in its daily defence ministry briefing, where it provides updates about what it terms its "special military operation" in Ukraine.

Ukraine's Ministry of Defence did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Kiev officials have previously said that Western-supplied weapons would be used exclusively against Russian forces inside Ukraine.

1229 GMT — Tehran: Zelenskyy using Iran to gain West's support

Iran has struck back at Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, saying his accusation the Islamic Republic is arming Russia was an attempt to gain the West's military and financial support.

Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said Zelenskyy's "repetition of false claims" against the Islamic Republic was "in harmony with the propaganda and media war of the anti-Iranian axis".

"It is done with the aim of attracting as much military and financial aid from Western countries as possible," Kanani said.

The United States and the European Union have sanctioned Iran over its drone programme, alleging it had supplied Moscow with unmanned aerial vehicles during Russia's invasion of Ukraine, a charge Tehran denies.

0914 GMT — China to make concrete efforts for political solution to Ukraine crisis

China will make concrete efforts for a political solution to the Ukraine crisis, the Chinese foreign ministry has quoted special envoy Li Hui as saying.

China has always adhered to an objective and fair position on Ukraine, persuaded peace and promoted talks, Li was quoted as telling Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Li, China's special representative for Eurasian affairs and former ambassador to Russia, held meetings and talks with Lavrov, and Deputy Foreign Ministers Andrey Rudenkon and Mikhail Galuzin.

0825 GMT — Hundreds of German civil servants to leave Russia: govt source

Hundreds of German civil servants working in the education and cultural sectors will need to leave Russia following a request by Moscow, a German government source told AFP news agency.

It follows a decision by the Russian authorities to force Germany to slash its diplomatic staff and presence at public institutions such as the Goethe Institute cultural organisation and the German school in Moscow by the beginning of June, the source said.

0808 GMT — Ukraine asks Germany for air-to-surface missiles: ministry

Ukraine has asked Berlin to provide it with Taurus air-to-surface missiles that have a range of in excess of 500 kilometres, Germany's defence ministry told AFP news agency.

"We have received a request from the Ukrainian side in recent days," a ministry spokesman said, without providing further details.

The missiles, produced by a Germany-Swedish joint venture Taurus Systems, would allow Ukraine to strike well inside Russia with their range of more than 500 kilometres (310 miles).

0756 GMT — Russia tells US to not lecture it on nuclear deployments

Russia has dismissed criticism from US President Joe Biden over Moscow's plan to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, saying Washington had for decades deployed just such nuclear weapons in Europe.

"It is the sovereign right of Russia and Belarus to ensure their security by means we deem necessary amidst a large-scale hybrid war unleashed by Washington against us," Russia's embassy in the United States said in a statement.

"The United States has been for decades maintaining a large arsenal of its nuclear weapons in Europe. Together with its NATO allies it participates in nuclear sharing arrangements and trains for scenarios of nuclear weapons use against our country."

0747 GMT — Iran says Ukraine president drone criticism a bid to secure more Western arms

Tehran has accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of anti-Iranian propaganda in his call for Iran to halt the supply of drones to Russia, saying his comments were designed to attract more arms and financial aid from the West.

"The Ukrainian president's repeat of delusional claims against the Islamic Republic of Iran is in line with the anti-Iranian propaganda and media war aimed at attracting as many arms and financial aid as possible from Western countries," Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said in a statement carried by Iranian media.

Iran initially denied supplying Shahed drones to Russia but later said it had provided a small number before the conflict began. Ukraine says the drones have played a major role in Russia's attacks on cities and infrastructure.

0700 GMT — Blast from 'drone attack' damages Russian oil pipeline building

An attack by two drones has caused an explosion in Russia's Pskov region near the border with Belarus that left an oil pipeline's administrative building damaged, local Governor Mikhail Vedernikov said on Telegram.

The incident occurred on Saturday near the village of Litvinovo, less than 10km (6.2 miles) from Russia's border with Belarus.

"Provisionally, the building was damaged as a result of an attack by two unmanned aerial vehicles," Vedernikov said, adding there were no casualties and that an operational group was working at the scene.

He did not point the finger at Ukraine, but Moscow has previously blamed Kiev for similar incidents. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine on Saturday.

0316 GMT — Zelenskyy denounces Dnipro missile strike as 'pure atrocity'

Ukraine's Zelenskyy has said he received many reports from Dnipro city over the Russian missile strike, which — according to him — killed at least two people and wounded 30.

"It is a pure atrocity: a Russian missile, ballistics — against a hospital and a veterinary clinic. Absolutely sick creatures," he said.

Zelenskyy said his country will do everything possible to speed up the supply of more air defence systems of a higher quality to Ukraine.

"During this week, we have also made substantial progress in providing modern aircraft for Ukraine, which will become a key component of our defense in the sky. We are moving faster in defense modernization than could have been predicted six months ago."

0200 GMT — Biden says Russia's deployment of nukes in Belarus 'extremely negative'

US President Joe Biden has said that he felt "extremely negative" about the deployment of Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus.

''Extremely negative, is my reaction'' was Biden's response when he was asked about the Russian nuclear moves by reporters before he left Washington for Camp David.

Russian and Belarusian defence ministers signed an agreement Thursday on the deployment of Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus, which stipulates terms for keeping them in a special storage facility.

For our live updates from Friday (May 26), click here.