Live blog: Kiev urges 'immediate' global action over nuclear plant tensions

Wednesday, July 5, 2023

Ukraine has called on the international community to respond to what it said was Russia's military escalation at the Moscow-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the centre of mounting tensions between Kiev and Moscow.

"Russia deploying military personnel, installing fortifications on at least three reactors, placing explosives at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant directly threatens a nuclear incident at Europe's largest atomic power station," Ukraine's foreign ministry said in a statement on social media, adding:

"It's high time the world took immediate action."

Russia and Ukraine on Tuesday accused each other of plotting to stage an attack on the power plant, where the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has repeatedly warned of potential catastrophe from nearby military clashes.

The two countries have blamed each other for shelling that has repeatedly downed power lines essential to cooling the plant's six reactors and avoiding a nuclear meltdown.

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1759 GMT — Police officers wounded in Kiev court suicide bombing

Two police officers have been wounded in a Kiev district court as a man who was brought to attend a hearing apparently blew himself up, officials said.

It is believed there were two explosions at Kiev's Shevchenkivskyi district court on Wednesday. Authorities did not say that the blasts were linked to Ukraine's war effort.

"An offender died at the scene. According to preliminary information, he blew himself up," Interior Minister Igor Klymenko said on social media.

Two law enforcement officers were wounded as they stormed the premises, Klymenko added.

"Their lives were saved by their shields," he added.

1721 GMT — NATO summit will offer Ukraine 'a lot': Lithuania

The president of Lithuania, which will host next week's NATO summit, has said he expected the talks to satisfy Ukraine as it seeks a clear invitation to join the defence alliance.

"I have a sense that we will find formulations which will not disappoint Ukrainians and will convey more than we are used to saying," Gitanas Nauseda told AFP news agency in an interview.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whose country is battling Russian forces, "might not receive everything he expects in his most ambitious plans, but he will certainly receive a lot," Nauseda added.

1647 GMT — IAEA has seen no sign of explosives at Zaporizhzhia yet, more access needed

Experts from the UN nuclear watchdog have yet to observe any indications of mines or explosives at the Zaporizhzhia plant, but they need more access to be sure.

IAEA experts "have in recent days and weeks inspected parts of the facility —including some sections of the perimeter of the large cooling pond — and have also conducted regular walk-downs across the site, so far without observing any visible indications of mines or explosives," an IAEA statement said.

"The IAEA experts have requested additional access that is necessary to confirm the absence of mines or explosives. In particular, access to the rooftops of reactor units 3 and 4 is essential, as well as access to parts of the turbine halls and some parts of the cooling system at the plant."

A statement issued by the Ukrainian armed forces on Tuesday quoted "operational data" as saying that "explosive devices" had been placed on the roofs of those two reactor units.

1007 GMT — Russia warns of 'catastrophic' Ukraine nuclear provocation

The Kremlin has warned that Kiev could be preparing a provocation at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, a flashpoint of concern in the conflict in Ukraine.

"The situation is quite tense because the threat of sabotage from the Kiev regime is really high — sabotage that could have catastrophic consequences," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

1003 GMT — Italy: NATO must offer 'real security guarantees' to Ukraine

Next week's NATO summit must offer "real security guarantees" to Ukraine, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has said.

Speaking in Warsaw alongside Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, Meloni said Italy and Poland "are in perfect agreement" on the issue.

NATO leaders are meeting in Vilnius on July 11-12.

0940 GMT — Kremlin: No final decision yet on Black Sea grain deal

The Kremlin has said that it has not taken a final decision about whether to extend the Black Sea grain deal.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that no official decision had been announced yet on whether to extend the deal, which allows for the safe export of grain from Ukraine.

Russia has consistently said it was pessimistic about the prospects of renewing the agreement beyond July 17 because of obstacles to its own exports of grain and fertiliser.

But Peskov said there was still time for the West to fulfil those parts of the deal that concern Russia.

0815 GMT — Russia: Ukraine attack kills one, injures dozens in Donetsk

Russia has said that one person was killed and another 41 injured, including two children, by Ukrainian fire in the east Ukraine town of Makiivka, controlled by Russian forces.

The Donetsk region has been partially occupied by Kremlin-backed separatists since 2014 and its complete capture is Russia's primarily military objective in Ukraine.

But the industrial territory is also now the focus of a Ukrainian counter-offensive launched several weeks ago.

"Forty-one people have been injured due to the shelling, including two children. One person has died from their wounds," Vladislav Klyucharov, the Russian-appointed head of the city's administration said on Russia's state-run broadcaster Rossiya-24.

0238 GMT — Ukraine says destroyed Russian 'formation' in Donetsk

Ukraine's military has claimed it destroyed a Russian "formation" in Russian-controlled Makiivka in the frontline Donetsk region, where Moscow-installed officials and media said one civilian was killed and dozens wounded in attacks by Kiev.

"As a result of the effective fire impact of the units of the defence forces, another formation of Russian terrorists in the temporarily occupied Makiivka ceased to exist," Ukraine's armed forces said in a statement.

The Russian-installed head of Donetsk, Denis Pushilin, said Ukrainian forces had launched "fierce attacks" on residential areas and a hospital complex in Makiivka.

One man had died and 36 civilians "received injuries of varying degrees of severity" as a result of Ukrainian strikes, according to Russian state news agency Interfax.

0216 GMT — Putin says Russian economy faring better than expected

President Vladimir Putin has said that the Russian economy was performing better than expected after Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin reported to him that gross domestic product growth and inflation have been surprisingly positive.

GDP growth may exceed 2 percent this year and consumer price inflation may not rise above 5 percent in annual terms, Mishustin told Putin at a meeting at the Kremlin. The International Monetary Fund expects the Russian economy to grow 0.7 percent this year.

"Our results, at least for the time being, let's say, cautiously, are better than previously expected, better than predicted," Putin said, according to a transcript on the Kremlin's website.

Analysts polled by Reuters at the end of June saw GDP growth of 1.2 percent and inflation at 5.7 percent in 2023.

For our live updates from Tuesday (July 4), click here.