The war between Russia and Ukraine continues on several fronts: while the Ukrainian army strengthens its positions in the Russian region of Kursk, the authorities in the Ukrainian capital claim to have foiled a Russian missile attack targeting kyiv. At the same time, UN experts are concerned about the security of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant after new fighting.
Key information to remember
⇒ IAEA experts concerned about safety at Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant
⇒ Ukraine says it foiled Russian airstrike on kyiv
⇒ Volodymyr Zelensky welcomes the advance of Ukrainian troops in the Russian region of Kursk
Concerns over safety of Zaporizhzhia power plant
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) warned on Saturday that security at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe’s largest and occupied by the Russians in the south of the country, was “deteriorating” after a drone strike nearby.
IAEA experts on site were informed of a detonation near the plant on Saturday and immediately rushed to the scene, the Vienna-based UN agency said in a statement. They said the damage “appears to have been caused by a drone equipped with an explosive charge” that hit the road between the plant’s two main gates. Russia blames Ukraine.
“Once again, we see an escalation of nuclear safety and security risks facing the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant,” IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi warned. The “nuclear security situation” at the plant site is “deteriorating,” the agency added.
The Zaporizhzhia power plant has been occupied by the Russians since March 2022. It is located in Energodar, on the south bank of the Dnieper, a river that serves as a natural frontline between the warring parties. The plant has been the target of repeated attacks, for which Russians and Ukrainians accuse each other. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the IAEA has warned of the risk of a major nuclear accident in Zaporizhzhia.
Ukraine says it foiled airstrike on kyiv
Ukrainian forces thwarted a Russian missile attack on kyiv early Sunday, August 18, the capital’s civil administration announced on Telegram, without mentioning damage or injuries. According to the same source, it is “very likely” that these were “North Korean KN-23 ballistic missiles.”
According to preliminary information, the devices were intercepted as they approached the Ukrainian capital and were thus unable to reach their target, the administration said. Russian attack drones also targeted the city “almost simultaneously” and were all “destroyed” outside the Kiev perimeter by air defenses, the authorities said.
Ukraine is regularly hit by deadly missile and drone strikes. To protect itself, kyiv is asking its Western allies to provide it with more air defense systems. According to the West, North Korea is supplying weapons to Russia for its assault on Ukraine and in return receives assistance, particularly in the space sector.
On the other side of the front line, Russian air defenses destroyed a total of five Ukrainian combat drones in the Belgorod and Rostov regions, which border Ukraine, during the night from Saturday to Sunday, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.
Volodymyr Zelensky welcomes Ukrainian progress in Kursk region
“General (Oleksandr) Syrsky reported on the strengthening of the positions of our forces in the Kursk region and the expansion of the stabilized territory,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday, August 17, after a meeting with the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian army. “The operation is proceeding exactly as we planned,” he said in an online video message that evening.
The day before, General Syrsky had informed the Ukrainian president that his troops had advanced “one to three kilometers” and taken new prisoners among the Russian soldiers.
The Russian army, which has deployed material and human reinforcements, assured for its part on Saturday that it had “repulsed” Ukrainian assaults near three localities in the Kursk region and inflicted heavy losses on its adversary. President Vladimir Putin ordered his men several days ago to “expel” kyiv’s forces from Russian territory.
The advance by Ukrainian forces comes as Germany, the second largest contributor after the United States, plans to halve its military spending to kyiv in 2025, banking on money generated by frozen Russian assets to continue supporting the country.