The director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, is expected this Wednesday, March 29 at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine, still occupied by Russian forces and located near the front line. . Since the beginning of the war, the atomic security authorities have been worried about the safety of the place and a potential nuclear accident.
Second visit this Wednesday by the head of the IAEA to Zaporizhia
This is the second visit by director Rafael Grossi and his delegation, who are due to arrive at the site in the morning and leave in the afternoon. The IAEA had sent a team of experts, still on site, inside the plant in September 2022.
The international agency calls for a protection zone around the site to prevent strikes from affecting infrastructure and causing power cuts, as is currently the case. The Ukrainian government is demanding a withdrawal of the Russian army and personnel, while Moscow accuses kyiv of wanting to take over the site by force.
On Wednesday March 22, Rafael Grossi warned that the plant was in a “precarious state”. The last emergency line being damaged, the safety of the place is no longer fully assured. Fearing for the safety of an entire continent, the director had cried out: “We’re playing with fire”.
Zelensky calls on Xi Jinping to visit Ukraine
In response to Xi Jinping’s visit to Russia in mid-March, Volodymyr Zelensky invited his Chinese counterpart to visit Ukraine. “We are ready to see it here,” said the Ukrainian president during an interview with the Associated Press, broadcast this Wednesday by the American press agency. However, the two men have not spoken since the Russian invasion in February 2022.
China has never condemned the maneuver of its Russian ally, despite its position in favor of a “political resolution of the Ukrainian crisis” and a “ceasefire”. In this same interview, Volodymyr Zelensky reaffirmed the importance of Bakhmout, whose loss would have immediate consequences for the rest of the conflict, he warned.
US backs special tribunal to try Russian ‘aggression’ in Ukraine
The United States declared itself in favor, on Tuesday March 28, of the creation of a special tribunal to judge the Russian “aggression” in Ukraine, with funds and international personnel. US authorities support the establishment of some form of international court, “rooted in the Ukrainian judicial system”, a spokesman for the US State Department said.
Rather reluctant traditionally to international jurisdictions, Washington is therefore going in the direction of kyiv’s appeal repeated for several weeks. The idea of a special court is also backed by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who approved such a move as early as November last year.
Russia begins military exercises with intercontinental ballistic missiles
The Russian Defense Ministry announced on Wednesday morning on Telegram having launched exercises with the IARS intercontinental ballistic missile system. “In total, more than 3,000 soldiers and about 300 pieces of equipment will participate in the exercise,” it said.
“It is planned to train in the maneuvers of the IARS autonomous rocket launchers, which will cover the territory of three regions, the press release adds. The strategic missile specialists will also implement a set of measures aimed at camouflage and countering modern aerial reconnaissance.
For its part, Ukraine is continuing to prepare its counter-offensive. The country received this week about twenty Leopard 2 tanks, supplied in particular by Germany.
Meanwhile, the Russian TASS news agency, citing pro-Kremlin authorities, reported Ukrainian shelling in the city of Melitopol that damaged the power supply system.
kyiv announces nearly 19,500 Ukrainian children deported by Russia
These are the figures reported by the National Information Office of the Ukrainian Ministry of Reintegration: 19,514 Ukrainian children are currently considered to be illegally deported by Russia, in total violation of the Geneva Convention.
To date, only 327 children have been returned to Ukraine. The European Union announced on March 23 that it would organize a conference in partnership with Warsaw and kyiv to help locate children abducted in Ukraine. On this occasion, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said that 16,200 children had been deported.
According to the Prosecutor General’s Office, 465 Ukrainian children died as a result of the war, and at least 943 were injured. A figure that should be much higher according to the office. He believes that it is impossible to establish the exact number of injured children due to the ongoing fighting and the occupation of part of the territory of Ukraine.