The situation in Russia’s Kursk border region, adjacent to Ukraine, is extremely complicated and tense. Russia is urgently taking measures to evacuate civilians due to the increased risk of infiltration and attacks from the Ukrainian army across the border. In this context, the dispute between Russia and Ukraine over the massive fire at the Zaporizhzhi nuclear power plant – currently controlled by Russia – has become more tense than ever. Both sides have made serious accusations against each other about the cause of the disaster, raising concerns about safety and stability in the region.
Yesterday, for the first time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky admitted that he was trying to push the Russia-Ukraine conflict deeper into Russian territory, while affirming that it was a fair act and also a response to Russia’s use of the Kursk region to attack Ukraine’s Sumy region.
“Today, Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi reported several times on the situation on the front line and on Ukrainian actions aimed at pushing the conflict to Russian territory. I thank all units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine for doing this. Ukraine is proving that it really knows how to put the necessary pressure on Russia,” Zelensky said.
According to media reports, Ukrainian military forces and military equipment are still being reinforced in the border area with Russia to step up infiltration efforts. Artillery and rocket attacks from drones are still being carried out by Ukraine from the Sumy region to Kursk. Yesterday, a fragment of a Ukrainian missile hit a residential house, injuring 13 people, two of whom are in critical condition.
The acting governor of the Kursk region, Alexei Smirnov, has ordered the acceleration of the evacuation of civilians in areas at risk of attack, especially the Belovsky district. According to the Ministry of Emergency Situations, as of August 10, Russia had evacuated more than 76,000 people from Kursk to the city of Oryol, 140km away, to ensure the safety of people in the war zone.
The Russian Defense Ministry has conducted many airstrikes attack Ukrainian troops inside the Kursk region and across the border, aiming to prevent infiltration attempts from afar. Russia also continuously sent more troops to this area.
The image is said to show a fire at one of two cooling towers at the Zaporizhzhia plant. Photo: ITN
Amid complicated escalating tensions on the Russia-Ukraine border, yesterday, Russia and Ukraine continued to blame each other for a major fire that caused serious damage to Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, Zaporizhzhi, which is controlled by Russia.
Russia said that Ukraine had carried out a drone attack and caused a major fire in a cooling tower of the nuclear power plant. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused Ukraine of deliberately destroying the plant and spreading “nuclear terrorism”.
However, the Ukrainian President has made accusations that Russia was behind the fire. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Energoatom company also made a suspicious assessment that the fire could have originated from Russia’s careless actions.
These allegations have not only further strained relations between the two countries, but have also raised important questions about responsibility and safety in an increasingly complex situation.
The United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which is present at the site, has just announced that it has received reports after several large explosions were recorded. Although the fire has caused serious material damage and created a scene of devastation, the good news is that Russia, Ukraine and the IAEA have confirmed that radiation levels around the nuclear power plant remain normal. This is ensured by the fact that all six units are in a state of shutdown, eliminating the risk of steam explosions and minimizing radiation risks.
