WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Zelenskyy, atomic agency chief discuss nuclear plant fears

The U.N.‘s atomic energy chief warned during a meeting Monday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that the perilous situation at Europe’s largest nuclear plant “isn’t getting any better” as relentless fighting in the area keeps the facility at risk of a disaster.

The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant’s six reactors are in shutdown and it is receiving the electricity it needs to prevent a reactor meltdown through just one remaining power line. It has on occasion had to switch to emergency diesel generators to power its essential cooling systems.

In a meeting with Zelenskyy in southern Ukraine covered exclusively by The Associated Press, International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi said the situation at the plant remains tense because of the heavy military presence around it and a blackout that recently struck the facility, something that has occurred repeatedly since Russian forces took it over last year.

Grossi plans to visit the plant this week for the second time following Russia’s invasion 13 months ago. The Vienna-based agency has staff permanently deployed at the plant since Grossi’s last visit in September.

Earlier this month, fighting interrupted power supply to the plant for half a day, forcing staff to activate backup generators.

Grossi had expressed alarm at that development.

“Each time we are rolling a dice,” he told his agency at the time. “And if we allow this to continue time after time, then one day our luck will run out.”

Grossi and Zelenskyy met in the the city of Zaporizhzhia, which is in Ukrainian-held territory, about 50 kilometers (30 miles) northeast of the nuclear plant with the same name.

The IAEA said in January it was placing teams of experts at all four of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants to reduce the risk of accidents, including the now-closed Chernobyl plant whose deadly nuclear accident in 1986 spread fallout over much of Europe.

Grossi emphasized that his seventh trip to Ukraine underlined his commitment and support for “as long as it takes.”

Also attending the meeting were other IAEA officials, the head of the presidential office, Andriy Yermak, and the head of nuclear operator Energoatom, Petro Kotin.

While in Zaporizhzhia, Zelenskyy also inspected military positions in the partially-occupied province and awarded soldiers military honors. He visited wounded soldiers at a hospital and an apartment building that Kyiv claims was hit by a missile on Wednesday, killing at least one person and injuring more than 30.

Residents were still shocked by the experience.

“It’s terrifying. I cannot find the words to tell you,” said Hanna Budkova, 39, who was in a busy playground in front of the apartment block with her nearly 2-year-old daughter. “I’m afraid to go anywhere near the windows.”

Zelenskyy later visited Nikopol, a frequently shelled city across the Dnieper River from the nuclear power plant, according to the presidential office.

Elsewhere, two people were killed and 29 wounded Monday when Russian forces shelled the city of Sloviansk, in the partially occupied eastern Donetsk region, officials said.

Video footage of the aftermath showed damaged residential buildings, debris in the streets and vehicles on fire. Zelenskyy described the attack as “terrorism.”

Russia has denied targeting residential areas even though artillery and rocket strikes have hit Ukrainian apartment buildings and civilian infrastructure daily during the war.

The Sloviansk attack followed a typical pattern of long-range shelling adopted by the Kremlin’s forces, especially in recent months as the fighting became deadlocked during the winter.

In the eastern Donetsk region, about 10 cities and villages were shelled by Russian forces over the previous 24 hours, Ukraine’s presidential office reported.

Russian missiles hit the city of Avdiivka, damaging residential buildings, a hotel and a courthouse, it said.

Avdiivka Mayor Vitali Barabash said utility companies are being evacuated from the front-line city, as it “resembles more and more a landscape from post-apocalyptic movies.”

Attacks also intensified in the Zaporizhzhia region, where 14 settlements on the front line were shelled, authorities said.

In the partially occupied Kherson region, the Ukrainian-controlled part of the province was bombarded 20 times, wounding four people, the presidential office said.

Several explosions shook the Russia-occupied city of Melitopol in the Zaporizhzhia region, damaging a building where Russian security forces are quartered, said the exiled elected mayor Ivan Fyodorov. The Russian-installed authorities said “artillery shelling” of Melitopol partially destroyed a vocational school building, damaged several other buildings and wounded four people.

Earlier, Zelenskyy met in Kyiv with British actor Orlando Bloom, according Yermak, the head of the presidential office. Bloom, a UNICEF goodwill ambassador, arrived over the weekend and visited its suburb of Irpin.

At his meeting with Zelenskyy, Bloom said “he was struck by the courage and resilience of Ukrainians, who despite the war remain strong,” Yermak wrote.

Bloom “will support projects to provide humanitarian assistance and restore infrastructure, focused on ensuring the interests of Ukrainian children,” the official said.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Monday at a meeting in the Netherlands that Germany has fulfilled its promised delivery of 18 advanced Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine. Canada, Norway and Poland also have sent such tanks to Ukraine.

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Russia’s newest jets provide air superiority – Ukrainian official

Russia's latest generation of Su-35 fighter jets has capabilities that Kiev’s forces can’t neutralize, a senior Ukrainian government official has told ABC News.

The newest Su-35s are equipped with “very effective radar and long-distance rockets,” enabling them to attack Ukrainian jets and provide air support for Russian ground troops, the unidentified official said in an article posted on Monday. Ukraine “does not have capabilities” to counter this threat, he added.

Kiev sees Russian air superiority as a “real risk,” the official admitted, making its push for more air defense systems from the US “priority No. 1” for Ukraine. “This is a problem,” another unidentified official said. “What we keep telling the Americans is that in the end, there is no other solution than to give us fighter jets.” He claimed that Russia has 12 times more military aircraft than Ukraine.

The latest comments out of Kiev contradict recent claims by Western leaders. Russia’s air power in Ukraine is limited by Kiev’s air defenses, including surface-to-air missiles, one Western official told reporters in a briefing last week. “We’re not seeing a huge change in that situation.”

However, the Ukrainian official noted that as Russia replaces older models of aircraft with the latest Su-35, it’s gaining a stronger advantage. He conceded that with Washington refusing so far to provide fighter jets to Ukraine, there is increasing acceptance in Kiev that the government should focus on trying to get more air defense systems and artillery from the US.

The governments of Slovakia and Poland pledged last week to give Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the two NATO members appeared to be using the Ukraine crisis to dispose of “old equipment they no longer need.”

** Russian forces wipe out Ukrainian ammo depot in Kharkov Region

Russian forces destroyed an ammunition depot of the Ukrainian army in the Kharkov Region over the past day during the special military operation in Ukraine, Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov reported on Monday.

"In the area of the community of Berestovoye in the Kharkov Region, an ammunition depot of the 103rd territorial defense brigade was obliterated," the spokesman said.

In the past 24 hours, operational/tactical and army aviation aircraft, missile troops and artillery of the Russian group of forces struck 93 Ukrainian artillery units at firing positions, manpower and equipment in 107 areas, the general said.

Battles in Kupyansk direction

Russian forces eliminated about 65 Ukrainian troops in the Kupyansk area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Kupyansk direction, army aviation aircraft and artillery of the western battlegroup struck the Ukrainian manpower and equipment in areas near the settlements of Dvurechnaya, Sinkovka and Kislovka in the Kharkov Region, Novosyolovskoye and Stelmakhovka in the Lugansk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.

The strikes eliminated enemy manpower and equipment, the general said.

"The enemy’s losses in the past 24 hours amounted to 65 Ukrainian troops, two motor vehicles, a Polish-made Krab self-propelled artillery gun, an Akatsiya motorized howitzer and also a D-30 howitzer," Konashenkov reported.

Battles in Krasny Liman direction

Russian combat aircraft, artillery and heavy flamethrower systems eliminated over 85 Ukrainian troops and a howitzer in the Krasny Liman area in the past day, he said.

"In the Krasny Liman direction, aircraft, artillery and heavy flamethrower systems of the battlegroup Center struck the enemy units in areas near the settlements of Nevskoye in the Lugansk People’s Republic, Yampolovka and Grigorovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.

Russian forces destroyed "over 85 Ukrainian personnel, two armored combat vehicles and a D-30 howitzer" in that direction in the past 24 hours, the general specified.

Battles in Donetsk direction

Russian forces eliminated over 400 Ukrainian troops and mercenaries in their advance in the Donetsk area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Donetsk direction, the enemy’s losses amounted to over 400 Ukrainian troops and mercenaries, four armored combat vehicles, ten motor vehicles, four pickup trucks, a Grad multiple rocket launcher and a D-20 howitzer in the past 24 hours as a result of active operations by units of the southern battlegroup, air strikes and artillery fire," the spokesman said.

Battles in southern Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions

Russian forces destroyed roughly 40 Ukrainian troops in the southern Donetsk and Zaporozhye areas over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

In the southern Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions, operational/tactical and army aviation aircraft and artillery of the battlegroup East inflicted damage on the Ukrainian army units in areas near the settlements of Vladimirovka and Novopol in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Malaya Tokmachka and Shcherbaki in the Zaporozhye Region, the spokesman specified.

"The enemy’s losses in those directions amounted to 40 Ukrainian personnel, two pickup trucks, and also a D-20 howitzer," the general said.

Battles in Kherson direction

Russian forces eliminated roughly 30 Ukrainian troops and a Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer in the Kherson area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Kherson direction, as many as 30 Ukrainian personnel, two motor vehicles and a Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer were destroyed as a result of damage inflicted on the enemy by firepower," the spokesman said.

Russian air defenses down Mi-8 helicopter, 13 drones

Russian air defense forces shot down a Ukrainian Air Force Mi-8 helicopter and destroyed 13 unmanned aerial vehicles over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"Air defense capabilities shot down a Ukrainian Air Force Mi-8 helicopter near the community of Temirovka in the Zaporozhye Region. In addition, they destroyed 13 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles," the spokesman said.

In all, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 404 Ukrainian warplanes, 226 helicopters, 3,600 unmanned aerial vehicles, 414 surface-to-air missile systems, 8,421 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,074 multiple rocket launchers, 4,447 field artillery guns and mortars and 9,146 special military motor vehicles since the start of the special military operation in Ukraine, Konashenkov reported.

AP/RT/TASS