► An IAEA mission en route to Zaporizhia
The director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced on Monday morning August 29 that he was on his way to the Ukrainian nuclear power plant in Zaporijjia, the target in recent weeks of strikes raising fears of the risk of a major accident. “The day has come, the IAEA mission to Zaporizhia is now on its way. We must protect the security of Ukraine and the largest power plant in Europe”wrote Rafael Grossi on Twitter, specifying that the mission would arrive on the spot “later this week”.
In a photo accompanying his message, the head of the IAEA poses with a team of ten people, wearing caps and vests with the logo of the UN body. He had been asking for several months to be able to go to the scene, warning of the “real risk of nuclear catastrophe”.
The Zaporizhia plant, where six of Ukraine’s 15 reactors are located, was taken by Russian troops in early March, shortly after the Russian invasion began on February 24, and is near the southern frontline.
kyiv and Moscow accuse each other of carrying out bombings near the complex, near the town of Energodar, on the Dnieper River, and thus putting the site in danger. The Ukrainian operator Energoatom warned on Saturday of the risk of radioactive leaks and fires after new strikes.
► London sends demining drones to Ukraine
The United Kingdom announced on Saturday that it would donate six underwater drones to Ukraine to help it neutralize Russian mines off its coast, and train Ukrainian soldiers in their use. These gears “lightweight and autonomous are designed for use in shallow coastal areas, capable of operating up to 100 meters below sea level to detect, locate and identify mines (…) so that the Ukrainian Navy can neutralize them »said the Ministry of Defense.
This new military aid comes at a time when, according to the British Ministry of Defence, “Russia is weaponizing food by destroying Ukrainian agriculture and blockading the country’s Black Sea ports to prevent exports”.
While some vessels carrying grain were able to leave Ukraine under the terms of an agreement obtained by the UN, these operations “remain limited by underwater mines left by Russian forces along the coast” of the country, said the United Kingdom.
► Putin signs a decree facilitating the stay of Ukrainians
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree that simplifies the stay and work of people who have left Ukraine for Russia since the Kremlin’s military intervention. According to this news “temporary measures”published on Saturday August 27, Ukrainian passport holders, as well as residents of the pro-Russian separatist territories of Donetsk and Luhansk in southeastern Ukraine, will be able to stay in Russia “without limitation of time”.
Until now, they could only officially stay in Russia for 90 days in a 180-day period. For longer stays, it was necessary to obtain a work permit or a special authorization. The persons concerned now have “the right to carry out a professional activity in Russia without a work permit”, specifies the decree. The text also prohibits the expulsion from Russia of Ukrainian citizens, apart from those released from prison or deemed to threaten the security of Russia.
In a separate decree, Vladimir Putin ordered to pay social aid to vulnerable people (pensioners, disabled, pregnant women) who had to leave Ukraine and the separatist territories. According to Moscow, 3.6 million people, including 587,000 children, have fled Ukraine for Russia since the Kremlin’s large-scale offensive against kyiv in late February. The Russian authorities encourage these trips and have opened accommodation centers throughout the country.