The UN atomic watchdog head warned of a “major nuclear accident” after a new drone attack on Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant on Sunday.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) called the attack “reckless” after an explosion near the reactor building and a hit on the dome of the plant’s sixth power unit. This is the first such attack on Zaporizhzhia power plant since November 2022 in military action.
“This is a major escalation of the nuclear safety and security dangers facing the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Such reckless attacks significantly increase the risk of a major nuclear accident and must cease immediately,” IAEA chief Rafael Mariano Grossi said.
At least one casualty is also suspected as blood stains were found by an IAEA team outside a laboratory next to a damaged military logistics vehicle.
This comes as Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Ukraine will lose the war against Russia if the US Congress does not approve military aid to help repel Moscow’s invasion.
“It is necessary to specifically tell Congress that if Congress does not help Ukraine, Ukraine will lose the war,” he said.
Key Points
Ukraine will lose war without US aid, says Zelensky
Drones attack Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant
Ukrainian military says it destroys all 17 Russian attack drones overnight
Ukraine could run out of air defence missiles, Zelensky warns
Russia carrying out ‘illegal chemical attacks’ on Ukrainian troops
Ukraine says it ‘nothing to do with incidents’ at Zaporizhzhia power plant
05:03 , Arpan Rai
A Ukrainian intelligence official said Kyiv has nothing to do with incidents at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant after Russia accused Kyiv of attacking the facility.
“Ukraine is not involved in any kind of armed provocations on the territory of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant illegally occupied by Russia,” Andriy Yusov, spokesperson for Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence, told the Ukrainska Pravda media outlet.
“Russian strikes, including imitation ones, on the territory of the Ukrainian nuclear power plant have long been a well known criminal practice of the invaders,” he said.
Russia and West join forces to tackle trade in ‘blood diamonds’ despite feud over Moscow’s diamonds
05:00 , Alexander Butler
Russia and West join forces to tackle trade in ‘blood diamonds’ despite feud over Moscow’s diamonds
UN warns of ‘nuclear accident’ after drone attacks on Russia-held Zaporizhzhia power plant
04:59 , Arpan Rai
The UN atomic watchdog’s head has warned of a “major nuclear accident” after a new drone attack on Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia power plant.
An explosion near the reactor building and blood stains suggesting one casualty on Sunday were also reported, including a hit on the dome of the plant’s sixth power unit.
The International Atomic Energy Agency‘s (IAEA) head, Rafael Mariano Grossi, called the attacks “reckless”. This is the direct targeting of the nuclear facility for the first time since November 2022 in military action, endangering nuclear safety and security.
UN warns of ‘nuclear accident’ after drone attacks on Zaporizhzhia power plant
In Ukraine if Black Tulip can’t bring the bodies of loved ones home, no one can
04:00 , Alexander Butler
In Ukraine if Black Tulip can’t bring the bodies of loved ones home, no one can
Germany’s defense minister overhauls the military command as he seeks ‘war-capable’ armed forces
03:00 , Alexander Butler
Germany’s defense minister overhauls the military command as he seeks ‘war-capable’ armed forces
US Secretary of State Blinken insists ‘Ukraine will become a member of Nato’
02:00 , Alexander Butler
US Secretary of State Blinken insists ‘Ukraine will become a member of Nato’
‘Pure barbarity’: Rescuers killed as Russia launches ‘double tap’ drone attack on Kharkiv
01:00 , Alexander Butler
‘Pure barbarity’: Rescuers killed in Russian ‘double tap’ drone attack on Kharkiv
Ukraine military chief’s chilling warning to the West about Russia’s threat
Monday 8 April 2024 00:01 , Alexander Butler
Ukraine military chief’s chilling warning to the West about Russia’s threat
Arsenal star Oleksandr Zinchenko would fight in Ukraine if called up
Sunday 7 April 2024 23:00 , Alexander Butler
Arsenal star Oleksandr Zinchenko would fight in Ukraine if called up
Ukraine military chief’s chilling warning to the West about Russia’s threat
Sunday 7 April 2024 22:00 , Alexander Butler
Ukraine military chief’s chilling warning to the West about Russia’s threat
Royals targeted in Russia’s disinformation war with fake story about King Charles selling Highgrove
Sunday 7 April 2024 21:00 , Alexander Butler
Russia spreads fake news that King Charles sold Highgrove House to Ukraine
UK needs wartime defence spending in face of most dangerous time since Cold War, ex-civil service chief warns
Sunday 7 April 2024 20:00 , Alexander Butler
Britain must spend more on defence, warns former top civil servant
Ukraine will lose war without US aid, says Zelensky
Sunday 7 April 2024 19:41 , Alexander Butler
Kyiv will lose the war against Russia if the US congress does not approve military aid to battle Moscow’s invasion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said.
“It is necessary to specifically tell Congress that if Congress does not help Ukraine, Ukraine will lose the war,” Zelensky said during a video meeting of Kyiv-organised fundraising platform United24.
Republicans in Congress have been blocking tens of billions of dollars in military assistance for Kyiv for months.
Western leaders face hard choices to help Ukraine resist Putin’s aggression
Sunday 7 April 2024 19:00 , Alexander Butler
Editorial: Western leaders face hard choices to help Ukraine resist Putin
Drones attack Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, according to plant officials
Sunday 7 April 2024 18:00 , Alexander Butler
Drones attack Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, according to plant officials
UK needs wartime defence spending in face of most dangerous time since Cold War, ex-civil service chief warns
Sunday 7 April 2024 17:07 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Britain must ramp up its defence and aid spending and bolster its diplomatic and intelligence networks amid “the most dangerous period” since the Cold War, the UK’s former top civil servant has warned.
Writing in The Independent, former cabinet secretary Sir Mark Sedwill urged the government to nearly double Britain’s defence spending to reach 4 per cent of GDP and restore the international aid budget to 0.7 per cent of national income, slashed by Boris Johnson in 2021.
And warning of the threat should Vladimir Putin prevail in his war on Ukraine, he called for Kyiv’s allies “to “upgrade defence industrial capacity to wartime levels”, “run our own factories 24/7” and buy weaponry and munitions for Ukraine, whether or not Congress funds the US to do so.
Britain must spend more on defence, warns former top civil servant
Woman killed by Ukrainian drone shrapnel in Russia’s Belgorod region -governor
Sunday 7 April 2024 16:35 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
A woman was killed on Sunday when shrapnel from a downed Ukrainian drone hit a car travelling in Russia‘s Belgorod region, local governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said.
In a statement on the Telegram messaging app, Gladkov said that four more people, including two children, had been wounded after air defences downed four Ukrainian drones on the approach to Belgorod city.
Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, has come under regular attack from Kyiv’s forces since 2022, with 25 people killed in a single missile strike on Belgorod city in December.
Drones attack Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant
Sunday 7 April 2024 15:56 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Officials at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant said that the site was attacked on Sunday by Ukrainian military drones, including a strike on the dome of the plant’s sixth power unit.
According to the plant authorities, there was no critical damage or casualties and radiation levels at the plant were normal after the strikes.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Sunday that its experts had been informed of the drone strike and that “such detonation is consistent with IAEA observations”.
Without apportioning blame, the head of the UN’s atomic watchdog agency, Rafael Mariano Grossi, warned of the safety risks of such attacks.
“I urge refraining from actions that contradict the 5 IAEA principles and jeopardize nuclear safety,” he said on the social media site X.
The power plant has been caught in the crossfire since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine in 2022 and seized the facility shortly after.
Ukraine claims it destroyed Russian warplanes in one of its biggest drone attacks of the war
Sunday 7 April 2024 15:15 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Ukrainian officials claimed Friday they used a barrage of drones to destroy at least six military aircraft and badly damage eight others at an airfield in Russia’s Rostov region, while Russian defense officials claimed they intercepted 44 Ukrainian drones and that only a power substation was damaged in the attack.
The assault appeared to be one of Kyiv‘s biggest air attacks in the war, coming as its forces step up their assaults on Russian soil. The Associated Press could not independently verify either side’s claims.
Russia has escalated attacks on civilian infrastructure, including Ukraine’s power plants, in recent weeks, signaling a new and potentially dangerous phase in the conflict as both sides struggle to achieve significant advances on the ground.
Ukraine claims it destroyed Russian warplanes in one of its biggest drone attacks of the war
Finland to keep border with Russia closed until further notice
Sunday 7 April 2024 14:45 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Finland will extend the closure of its border crossing points with Russia beyond the current April 14 deadline “until further notice” due to a high risk of organized migration orchestrated by Moscow, the Finnish government said on Thursday.
The Finnish Interior Ministry said in a statement that the Nordic country’s national security and public order would come under serious threat if the estimated hundreds of third-country nationals were to continue to attempt to enter from Russia without proper documentation.
“Based on information provided by public authorities, the risk that instrumentalized migration (by Russia) will resume and expand as seen previously remains likely,” the ministry said.
Finland to keep border with Russia closed until further notice
A pro-Western career diplomat faces an ally of the populist premier in Slovakia’s presidential vote
Sunday 7 April 2024 14:09 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
A pro-Western career diplomat and a close ally of Slovakia’s populist Prime Minister Robert Fico are facing each other in a presidential runoff on Saturday to determine who will be the next head of state.
Former Foreign Minister Ivan KorÄok is up against Peter Pellegrini, who heads a coalition party in Fico’s government, in the vote for the largely ceremonial post as president of the nation of 5.4 million.
A victory for Pellegrini, who currently serves as Parliament speaker, would cement Fico’s power by giving him and his allies control of major strategic posts.
A pro-Western career diplomat faces an ally of the populist premier in Slovakia’s presidential vote
Arsenal star Oleksandr Zinchenko would fight in Ukraine if called up
Sunday 7 April 2024 13:38 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Arsenal full back Oleksandr Zinchenko has revealed he would return to Ukraine to fight in the defence of his country if called up.
The 27-year-old has already donated £1m to help those back home following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Asked by BBC’s Newsnight whether he would answer a call-up, Zinchenko said: “I think it’s a clear answer. I would go.”
Arsenal star Oleksandr Zinchenko would fight in Ukraine if called up
Ukraine military chief’s chilling warning to the West about Russia’s threat
Sunday 7 April 2024 13:08 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Russia is ready to “swallow” Europe whole, a top Ukrainian commander has warned – less than two months after he led a costly evacuation from a key city on the eastern frontline.
Speaking to The Independent from an undisclosed location in Donetsk, deputy commander of Ukraine’s 3rd Assault Brigade, Maksym Zhorin, issued a troubling warning to Kyiv’s Western partners.
The West, he said, must urgently prepare. “Create serious defence systems that could counteract Russia because it will undoubtedly open its mouth and try to swallow the rest of Europe,” he warned.
Ukraine military chief’s chilling warning to the West about Russia’s threat
Editorial: Western leaders face hard choices to help Ukraine resist Putin’s aggression
Sunday 7 April 2024 12:33 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
The overwhelming majority of the British people stand with the Ukrainian people in their time of need. The Ukrainians’ brave resistance against Vladimir Putin’s aggression meets all the tests of a just war, and it is in our national interest that Putin should not succeed.
Now, however, we are coming to the hard part. Two years have passed since the Russian attempt to take Kyiv, and the balance of the war has started to shift in Putin’s favour. Ukrainian forces have had to retreat from Avdiivka, close by Donetsk, the capital of one of the eastern provinces claimed by Putin.
How should Ukraine and its allies respond to this setback? The Independent carries two exclusive articles that point the way. One, by Lord Sedwill, the former cabinet secretary, argues that Britain and its European allies must increase defence spending. The other, an interview with Maksym Zhorin, the Ukrainian commander who led the retreat from Avdiivka, sets out a warning about what will happen if we do not.
Read more here:
Editorial: Western leaders face hard choices to help Ukraine resist Putin
Ukrainian drones attack Zaporizhzhia nuclear station -TASS cites plant
Sunday 7 April 2024 12:09 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Ukrainian drones attacked the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant on Sunday, damaging a truck parked near the station’s canteen, Russian state news agency TASS reported, citing the plant authorities.
Russian officials again try to link the Moscow concert attack with Ukraine despite Kyiv’s denials
Sunday 7 April 2024 11:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Russian authorities on Friday again tried to link the deadly attack on a Moscow concert hall to Ukraine, saying one of the detained suspects had photos on his phone depicting troops in camouflage uniforms with the Ukrainian flag.
Ever since the March 22 mass shooting and fire at the Crocus City Hall concert venue that killed 145 people, Russian officials have sought to blame Ukraine for the massacre, even though Kyiv has denied any involvement and an affiliate of the Islamic State claimed responsibility.
Authorities, including President Vladimir Putin, have provided no evidence for the link as they sought to shift the narrative from the failure by security services to prevent the attack.
Russian officials again try to link the Moscow concert attack with Ukraine despite Kyiv’s denials
Ukraine military chief’s chilling warning to the West about Russia’s threat
Sunday 7 April 2024 11:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Russia is ready to “swallow” Europe whole, a top Ukrainian commander has warned – less than two months after he led a costly evacuation from a key city on the eastern frontline.
Speaking to The Independent from an undisclosed location in Donetsk, deputy commander of Ukraine’s 3rd Assault Brigade, Maksym Zhorin, issued a troubling warning to Kyiv’s Western partners.
The West, he said, must urgently prepare. “Create serious defence systems that could counteract Russia because it will undoubtedly open its mouth and try to swallow the rest of Europe,” he warned.
Ukraine military chief’s chilling warning to the West about Russia’s threat
Royals targeted in Russia’s disinformation war with fake story about King Charles selling Highgrove
Sunday 7 April 2024 10:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
A Russian disinformation network has made a series of false claims about the British royal family in its ongoing information war with Ukraine.
Among the incorrect allegations being made by pro-Kremlin campaigners is the suggestion circulating on fake news sites that King Charles has sold his royal residence Highgrove House to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky for £20m.
The bizarre report was initially made in a YouTube video that featured someone who claimed to be the estate agent behind the made-up sale. However, security experts told The Times the character, named Sam Murphy, appeared to be AI-generated.
Russia spreads fake news that King Charles sold Highgrove House to Ukraine
Ukraine energy system stable, no major power imports expected, ministry says
Sunday 7 April 2024 10:11 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
The Ukrainian energy system, severely damaged by Russian missile attacks in recent weeks, is now almost completely stabilised and the energy ministry said on Sunday no major imports were expected.
Ukraine‘s electricity imports reached a record high at the end of March after a string of Russian missile strikes on critical infrastructure caused blackouts in many parts of the country.
Since March 22, Russian forces have been attacking Ukrainian thermal and hydropower stations as well as main networks on an almost daily basis, which has led to the blackouts.
“Ukraine‘s energy system is stable and balanced,” the ministry said in a statement.
It said power exports were expected at 115 megawatt hours (MWh) on Sunday while imports could total 1,179 Mwh.
National grid company chief Ukrenergo Volodymyr Kudrytskyi told Reuters last week that Russian attacks had caused significant damage to the power system, but a total collapse was unlikely.
Ukrainian man who helped Russia target missile strike on pizzeria jailed for life
Sunday 7 April 2024 09:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
A Ukrainian man has been jailed for life for helping Russia target a missile strike on a pizzeria in the eastern city of Kramatorsk last year.
The 27 June attack on Ria Pizza killed 13 people, including novelist Victoria Amelina, and wounded 61. The attack also destroyed several nearby structures.
“A local resident was sentenced to life imprisonment for guiding the occupiers’ missile attack on the pizzeria in Kramatorsk,” the office of the war-torn country’s prosecutor general said on Wednesday.
Ukrainian man who helped Russia target missile strike on pizzeria jailed for life
Ukrainian military says it destroys all 17 Russian attack drones overnight
Sunday 7 April 2024 09:03 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Ukraine‘s forces destroyed all 17 attack drones launched by Russia overnight, the Ukrainian military said on Sunday.
“At night the Russian occupiers attacked Ukraine once again, using 17 attack drones. The Ukrainian air defence forces destroyed all of them,” the Ukrainian General Staff said on Facebook.
Three civilians killed in Russian strike on Zaporizhzhia region, Kyiv says
Sunday 7 April 2024 08:44 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Three civilians were killed in a Russian attack on the frontline village of Guliaipole in Ukraine‘s southeastern Zaporizhzhia region on Sunday morning, the local governor said.
“Two men and a woman died under the rubble of their own house, which was hit by a Russian shell,” Ivan Fedorov said on the Telegram messaging app.
Fedorov said one more person was injured.
He said Russians shelled the village with a Grad self-propelled multiple rocket launcher.
Reuters could not independently verify the report.
The frontline Zaporizhzhia region is under constant Russian bombardment by rockets, drones and cannons.
Pro-Russian candidate wins Slovakia presidential election
Sunday 7 April 2024 08:00 , Vishwam Sankaran
Pro-Russian candidate Peter Pellegrini has been elected as Slovakia’s new president.
Mr Pellegrini’s election cements pro-Russian prime minister Robert Fico’s hold over the country.
Mr Fico’s coalition, which includes a party headed by Mr Pellegrini, has already halted Slovak official shipments of weapons for Ukraine.
The prime minister has also spoken about western influence in the war leading to Slavic nations killing each other.
However, Mr Pellegrini has held a more moderate stance than the prime minister.
“I will be a president who will support the government in its efforts for improving people’s lives. I will do everything for Slovakia to forever remain on the side of peace and not the side of war,” he said.
More on the presidential election results here
Russia-friendly populist wins Slovakia presidential election
Russia and West join forces to tackle trade in ‘blood diamonds’ despite feud over Moscow’s diamonds
Sunday 7 April 2024 07:30 , Alexander Butler
Russia and West join forces to tackle trade in ‘blood diamonds’ despite feud over Moscow’s diamonds
In Ukraine if Black Tulip can’t bring the bodies of loved ones home, no one can
Sunday 7 April 2024 06:30 , Alexander Butler
In Ukraine if Black Tulip can’t bring the bodies of loved ones home, no one can
At 75, is timid, hesitant Nato now showing its age?
Sunday 7 April 2024 05:30 , Alexander Butler
At 75, is timid, hesitant Nato now showing its age?
Russia’s use of prohibited chemical weapons is now ‘systemic,’ Ukraine says
Sunday 7 April 2024 04:30 , Alexander Butler
Ukraine says Russia’s use of weapons with prohibited chemicals has become “systemic.”
The command of Ukraine’s Support Forces has recorded 371 uses of munitions containing prohibited chemicals over the past month, many of which included grenades delivered via drones.
The Support Forces’ report noted that Russian troops used weapons banned by the Chemical Weapons Convention 1412 times over the past year.
“Such actions on the part of the Russian Federation are taking on systemic pattern, and this tendency only grows,” the report noted.
Thousands in Russia’s Orenburg forced to evacuate as ‘critical’ flooding causes dam burst
Sunday 7 April 2024 03:30 , Alexander Butler
Burst dam forces thousands in Russia’s Orenburg to evacuate
Ukrainian forces still control eastern town of Chasiv Yar, top general says
Sunday 7 April 2024 02:30 , Alexander Butler
Ukrainian forces are still in control of the town of Chasiv Yar in eastern Ukraine despite attempts by Russian troops to break through their defences, Commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Saturday.
Russia‘s RIA news agency on Friday cited an official as saying Russian forces had entered the suburbs of the town, which Moscow sees as an important staging point for Kyiv’s troops. Ukrainian military said the report was untrue. “Chasiv Yar remains under our control, and all enemy attempts to break through to the settlement have failed,” Syrskyi said on the Telegram messaging app on Saturday.
A rapid Russian advance on Chasiv Yar, a heavily fortified town with a pre-war population of 12,200 situated west of the ruined Russian-occupied city of Bakhmut, would be a grim setback for Kyiv.
Russian forces are inching forward in eastern Ukraine after capturing the bastion town of Avdiivka in February. Kyiv’s soldiers are trying to dig in, facing long-term shortages of artillery shells with U.S. aid stuck in Congress.
Finland to keep border with Russia closed until further notice
Sunday 7 April 2024 01:30 , Alexander Butler
Finland to keep border with Russia closed until further notice
Russian officials again try to link the Moscow concert attack with Ukraine despite Kyiv’s denials
Sunday 7 April 2024 00:30 , Alexander Butler
Russian officials again try to link the Moscow concert attack with Ukraine despite Kyiv’s denials
UK needs wartime defence spending in face of most dangerous time since Cold War, ex-civil service chief warns
Saturday 6 April 2024 23:30 , Alexander Butler
Britain must spend more on defence, warns former top civil servant
Ukraine could run out of air defence missiles, Zelensky warns
Saturday 6 April 2024 23:10 , Alexander Butler
Ukraine could run out of air defence missiles if Russia keeps up its intense long-range bombing campaign, Volodymyr Zelensky warned.
The Ukrainian leader’s starkest warning to date of the deteriorating situation faced by his country’s air defences follows weeks of Russian strikes on the energy infrastructure, towns and cities using a vast arsenal of missiles and drones.
“If they keep hitting [Ukraine] every day the way they have for the last month, we might run out of missiles, and the partners know it,” Zelenskiy said on Ukrainian television.
Ukraine military chief’s chilling warning to the West about Russia’s threat
Saturday 6 April 2024 22:30 , Alexander Butler
Ukraine military chief’s chilling warning to the West about Russia’s threat
US Secretary of State Blinken insists ‘Ukraine will become a member of Nat
Saturday 6 April 2024 21:30 , Alexander Butler
US Secretary of State Blinken insists ‘Ukraine will become a member of Nato’
At 75, is timid, hesitant Nato now showing its age?
Saturday 6 April 2024 20:30 , Alexander Butler
At 75, is timid, hesitant Nato now showing its age?
Royals targeted in Russia’s disinformation war with fake story about King Charles selling Highgrove
Saturday 6 April 2024 19:30 , Alexander Butler
Russia spreads fake news that King Charles sold Highgrove House to Ukraine
‘Pure barbarity’: Rescuers killed as Russia launches ‘double tap’ drone attack on Kharkiv
Saturday 6 April 2024 18:30 , Alexander Butler
‘Pure barbarity’: Rescuers killed in Russian ‘double tap’ drone attack on Kharkiv
Ukrainian man who helped Russia target missile strike on pizzeria jailed for life
Saturday 6 April 2024 18:00 , Alexander Butler
Ukrainian man who helped Russia target missile strike on pizzeria jailed for life
Russia trying to sabotage European railways, Czech minister warns
Saturday 6 April 2024 17:26 , Alexander Butler
Russia has made thousands of attempts to disrupt European rail networks in efforts to destabilise the EU and sabotage infrastructure, a Czech minister claimed.
Czech transport minister Martin Kupka told the Financial Times Moscow was suspected of having made “thousands of attempts to weaken our systems”.
The hacking campaign included attacks on signalling systems and on the networks of the Czech national railway operator Äeské dráhy, Kupka said.
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