August 12, 2022 Russia-Ukraine news

There is "no adequate control" over operations at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Ukraine's Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskyi said Friday.

The plant has been held by Russian forces since its capture in March but has continued operating at reduced capacity, largely by Ukrainian civilian technicians.

A recent uptick in artillery and mortar fire to the plant's surrounding area led the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to state that the "alarming" situation had reached a "grave hour" on Thursday.

Repeating that the Ukrainian government has already appealed to the IAEA to ensure proper control over the plant, Monastyrskyi said that his ministry "is preparing for any scenario."

"There is no adequate control over the operations at Zaporizhzhia NPP," Monastyrskyi said in a Facebook post. "Now, it is actually not just in the hands of the enemy, but also in the hands of untrained specialists who can really allow a tragedy."

"Those Ukrainian specialists who remained there are partially not allowed to the areas where they should be. As is known, military equipment of the Russian Federation is located on the territory of the station now. All this is assessed as the highest level of threat," he added.

Both sides have blamed each other for putting the plant at risk, with Monastyrskyi accusing Russian forces of shelling the plant's power unit.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned Ukrainian officials to stop talking about the military campaign against Russia, saying that war was "definitely not the time for vanity and loud statements."

In a video message on Thursday, Zelensky sternly addressed military commanders and state officials.

"The less concrete details you give about our defense plans, the better it will be for the implementation of those defense plans," Zelensky.

"You should feel your responsibility for every word you say about what our state prepares for in defense or counteroffensives."

Zelensky's remarks come after a senior Ukrainian commander spoke at length about plans to liberate the southern city of Kherson from Russian forces by the end of the year.

In an interview, Major General Dmytro Marchenko spoke about Ukrainian operations to disable bridges across the River Dnipro used by Russian forces to resupply their units in Kherson. "I want to convey to the people of Kherson ... it will not be as long as everyone expects. It will be fast," Marchenko said.

Zelensky did not mention Marchenko by name in his video address but Ukrainian defence officials said that investigations into "a high-ranking military officer" were underway.

The city of Nikopol in southeastern Ukraine, located across the Dnipro river from the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, came under attack again by Russian rockets overnight, according to Ukrainian authorities.

Valentyn Reznichenko, head of the Dnipropetrovsk regional military administration, said the Russian army hit two districts of the city with Grad rockets and artillery, while up to 40 rockets landed in nearby Marganets, injuring three people.

The Nikopol area has been hit almost every night by Russian rockets and artillery based close to the nuclear power plant, Ukrainian officials say.

Some context: The Zaporizhzhia plant, the largest of its kind in Europe, has continued operating at reduced capacity since Russian forces captured it early in March. The head of the UN nuclear watchdog on Thursday warned that parts of the plant had been knocked out due to recent attacks, risking an "unacceptable" potential radiation leak.

Russia and Ukraine have so far been unwilling to agree to an IAEA inspection of the plant and have accused each other of shelling the facility — action the IAEA has said breaches "indispensable nuclear safety and security pillars."

Two more cargo ships carrying more than 63,000 metric tons of grain departed from Ukraine on Friday, according to Turkey's Defense Ministry

The Marshall Islands-flagged Star Laura, carrying 60,150 metric tons of corn, left the Ukrainian port of Yuzhne for Iran, the ministry said. It added that another vessel, the Belize-flagged Sormovskiy 121, with 3,050 metric tons of corn aboard, departed from Chornomorsk port for Tekirdag in Turkey.

Two more arrivals: In a statement, the Joint Coordination Center (JCC) that oversees Ukrainian grain exports said it had authorized two cargo ships to travel to the port of Odesa, pending inspections on Friday. The JCC was one of the key creations of the grain deal agreed last month between Russia and Ukraine under the auspices of the UN and Turkey.

Grain for Ethiopia: Ukraine's Minister of Infrastructure tweeted Thursday that the country was awaiting the arrival of the cargo ship Brave Commander to load more than 23,000 metric tons of grain for export to Ethiopia. The UN says the "ripple effect" of the war in Ukraine threatens to worsen a food crisis sparked by conflict and drought in the East African country.

The "alarming" situation at a Russian-occupied nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine had reached a "grave hour," the head of the United Nations' nuclear watchdog said Thursday, as he called for an immediate inspection of the facility by international experts.

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi warned that parts of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant had been knocked out due to recent attacks, risking an "unacceptable" potential radiation leak.

"IAEA experts believe that there is no immediate threat to nuclear safety," but "that could change at any moment," Grossi said.

Ukraine and Russia blame each other: The Zaporizhzhia facility — the largest nuclear plant in Europe — occupies an extensive site on the Dnipro river near the Russian-occupied city of Enerhodar. It has continued operating at reduced capacity since Russian forces captured it early in March, with Ukrainian technicians remaining at work.

Russia and Ukraine have so far been unwilling to agree to an IAEA inspection of the plant and have accused each other of shelling the facility — action the IAEA has said breaches "indispensable nuclear safety and security pillars."

Russia's UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia on Thursday blamed Ukraine for the shelling and urged Kyiv's supporters to stop attacks and prevent a disastrous radiation leak.

But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pointed the finger at Moscow, which he said was putting all of Europe in danger.

More shelling: Ukraine's nuclear agency Energoatom said 10 shells landed near the complex on Thursday, preventing a shift handover.

"For the safety of nuclear workers, the buses with the personnel of the next shift were turned back to Enerhodar," the agency said. "Until the situation finally normalizes, the workers of the previous shift will continue to work."

Energoatom said radiation levels at the site remained normal, despite renewed attacks.

Read the full story here.

The Ukrainian military has repelled assaults by Russian forces in the east, its General Staff said in an update Thursday evening. 

"The occupiers unsuccessfully tried to improve the tactical position" near the city of Kramatorsk, but they were "pushed back," it said.

The Ukrainian military also said it was also able to repel Russian forces pushing toward Bakhmut and Avdiivka.

The Ukrainian military said intense shelling and airstrikes were felt across the entire eastern frontline. 

After closing its restaurants in Ukraine six months ago because of the Russian invasion, McDonald's is starting to reopen in parts of the country.

McDonald's has nearly 110 restaurants in Ukraine. The chain has continued to pay its employees in the country despite the closures.

Read more here.

Ukraine is expecting the arrival of a ship that will be taking 23,000 metric tons of grain to Ethiopia, Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov tweeted on Thursday. 

Conflict in the north and a drought in the south have pushed about 20 million people to a vulnerable and precarious humanitarian situation in Ethiopia, which, according to the United Nations, has been made worse by the war in Ukraine.