Putin says that an “anti-Russian enclave” is being created in Ukraine that threatens his country
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that they are creating an “anti-Russian enclave” in Ukraine that threatens Russia and that ending it is the objective of Moscow’s military campaign in the neighboring country.
“On the territory of today’s Ukraine they began to create an anti-Russian enclave that threatens our country,” the Kremlin chief said at a meeting with schoolchildren in Kaliningrad, a Russian enclave in the Battic, on the occasion of the start of classes broadcast live by Russian state television.
For this reason, he added, “our boys fight there, many die, they defend the inhabitants of Donbas and Russia itself, and this certainly deserves the support of the whole society.”
“This is not a childish issue, but it is quite understandable. They actually started a war against us that lasts eight years. Our task, the mission of our soldiers, is to put an end to this war, to defend the people,” said the president. .
Macron says that it is necessary to talk with Russia “to prepare peace”
French President Emmanuel Macron stressed on Thursday the need to continue talking with Russia “to prepare for peace”, although he insisted: “We cannot let Russia win this war” against Ukraine.
“France will continue to talk with Russia so that, at the time it is useful, prepare peace”, which must be “negotiated” with terms agreed by the two parties, Macron said in a speech before the conference of French ambassadors around the world. world.
The French president has been criticized periodically for maintaining contacts with Vladimir Putin after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but Macron – who claims to do so at the request of the Ukrainian president, Volodímir Zelensky – recalled: “The job of a diplomat is to talk to everyone, especially with whom we disagree”.
He explained that the goal of Paris in this conflict is “to help Ukraine.” “We cannot let Russia win this war and conquer territories” with “an imperialist logic”, although she stressed: “We do not want to participate” in the conflict.
Macron urged “avoiding the partition of the world that is taking place” because of the war in Ukraine, since for many countries outside Europe it is a “regional” conflict, for which he asked his diplomats to show “that is an aggression by Russia” in violation of all norms of international law.
Polish warplanes begin patrolling Slovak airspace
Polish Air Force planes will patrol Slovak airspace from this Thursday until the end of 2023 to “strengthen its security”, Warsaw announced today.
In an official statement, Pawel Soloch, head of the Polish National Security Office, announced the start of the mission, which will be carried out on a rotating basis by two F-16 or two Mig-29 aircraft, together with a crew of ten soldiers.
Under an agreement announced Saturday during a military air show at the Malacky base near Bratislava, Poland and the Czech Republic will support Slovakia by policing its airspace until its armed forces receive the 14 F-16S will receive from the United States.
The deployment has similar objectives to that carried out in the Baltic countries, where an allied military air contingent was also established to monitor violations of NATO airspace by Russia and to monitor the development of the war in Ukraine.
IAEA mission arrives at Zaporizhia plant
The mission of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) sent to investigate the Ukrainian nuclear power plant in Zaporizhia, controlled by Russian troops, is already in that facility, reported the Ukrainian nuclear agency Energoatom.
An IAEA spokesman confirmed the arrival of the team of international inspectors.
“The IAEA mission has arrived at the Zaporiya plant,” Fredrik Dahl, who is traveling with the team that must establish the situation at the plant, the largest in Europe, and which has been subjected to attacks that have jeopardized its operation.
According to the Interfax agency, the UN convoy, made up of nine vehicles, entered the territory of the largest atomic plant in Europe around 2:15 p.m. (11:15 GMT).
The group of 14 experts from the IAEA, the UN nuclear agency based in Vienna, has the mission of evaluating the situation in Zaporizhia, which was taken over by the Russian Army more than six months ago.
Lavrov, against responding to the EU for the restriction of visas to Russians
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergei Lavrov, affirmed today that he is against adopting measures in response to the restrictions on the issuance of visas to Russian citizens agreed by the European Union (EU).
“We must not respond to nonsense with nonsense,” said the head of Russian diplomacy in a speech at the Moscow Institute of International Relations on the occasion of the beginning of the academic year.
He stressed that Russia does not need to isolate itself or “collectively punish the citizens of European countries.”
At the same time, Lavrov indicated that the principle of reciprocity applies, but stressed that it “must be applied against the instigators, organizers and executors of these anti-Russian sanctions.”
At least three killed in a Ukrainian attack on Energodar
At least three people were killed today by Ukrainian artillery fire on Energodar, the city in southern Ukraine controlled by Russian troops that houses the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, the pro-Russian interim administration denounced.
“Three civilians were killed and another was injured,” a spokesman for the administration told the Russian Interfax agency, adding that the city was subjected to a massive artillery attack by the Armed Forces early in the morning.
In addition, the head of the pro-Russian administration of the city, Alexander Volga, reported that a Ukrainian detachment landed on the outskirts of Energodar, located on the left bank of the Dnieper,
“Our aviation is working (…) I think that soon everything will end and we will win,” he told Volga, quoted by Interfax,
Russia says the situation around the Zaporizhia plant is “under control”
The situation around the Ukrainian nuclear power plant in Zaporizhia, where new fighting broke out this Thursday shortly before the arrival of a mission of experts from the UN atomic agency, is “under control”, according to the Russian Defense Ministry. .
“The situation around the nuclear power plant is complicated, but it is under control,” says a statement released by the Russian military department.
The note reiterates the willingness of the Russian forces to receive the inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and to guarantee security for them to carry out their work.
The pro-Russian authorities of Energizaré, a city that hosts the nuclear plant, affirmed in turn that the IAEA mission has entered territory controlled by the Russian Army in the Zaporizhia region and is heading to Energodar.
“According to the latest information, they have crossed the Vasilievka checkpoint and for an hour they will be in Energodar,” pro-Russian mayor Alexander Volga said.
The Red Cross asks to “stop playing with fire” around the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) called this Thursday for the end of military operations around the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, located in southern Ukraine and occupied by Russian forces.
“It is time to stop playing with fire and take concrete steps to protect this facility and others like it from any military operations,” ICRC Director General Robert Mardini told reporters in kyiv.
“The slightest miscalculation could unleash devastation that we will regret for decades,” he added.
Russia accuses Ukraine of deploying “sabotage” near Zaporizhia power plant
The Russian army on Thursday accused Ukrainian troops of crossing the Dniepr River to recapture the nearby Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, where a mission from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is due to go.
“Around 0600 hours (0300 GMT), two groups of saboteurs from the Ukrainian army, up to about 60 people, landed on board seven boats (…) three kilometers northeast of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant,” he said in a statement. statement from the Russian Ministry of Defense, which claims to have taken “measures to destroy the enemy”.
Ukraine denounces Russian bombing in the city where the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant is located
The Ukrainian authorities accused Russia of bombing Energodar, the city where the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant is located, which is due to be visited this Thursday by a mission from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
“The Russians carry out artillery attacks on the itinerary by which the IAEA mission must go to the Zaporizhia plant,” Dmitro Orlov, exiled mayor of this Moscow-controlled city, denounced on Telegram.
According to Orlov, the UN regulator’s delegation cannot “continue on its way” to the plant “for security reasons.”
A reactor at the Ukrainian nuclear plant stopped due to a bombing
One of the six reactors at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, controlled by Russian forces in southern Ukraine, was stopped on Thursday as a preventive measure due to Russian bombing, the Ukrainian operator of the plant said.
“Today at 4:57 a.m. (0157 GMT), due to another mortar shelling by the Russian occupation forces on the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant compound, emergency protection was activated and the power unit was turned off. operational 5,” Energoatom said in a statement ahead of the arrival of an International Atomic Energy Agency mission at the site.
IAEA inspectors heading to Zaporizhia
The director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Thursday that his mission to the Ukrainian Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, occupied by Russian troops, continues despite the military activities denounced by both sides.
“There was military activity, even this morning, a few minutes ago,” but “we’re not stopping, we’re moving,” Argentine diplomat Rafael Grossi said from the city of Zaporizhia before leaving for the plant, some 120 kilometers away.
“We will immediately start assessing the security situation at the plant,” Grossi added.
During the morning, Russians and Ukrainians accused each other of hostilities around the nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe, about two hours by car from the city of Zaporizhia and very close to the front line.