Russia ukraine crimea

As tensions between Ukraine and Russia grow over the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Russia's Defense Ministry said on Thursday that the facility could be shut down if Ukrainian forces continue targeting it and named three countries in danger from radioactive fallout in the event of an incident at the plant. The Zaporizhzhia plant—the largest in Europe—has been under occupation since March, when it was captured by Russian troops, though it is still run by Ukrainian technicians. There has been concern over the fate of the power plant stuck in the middle of a brutal conflict and the risks it could pose to the entire European continent. The Zaporizhzhia plant has been the target of several military strikes since the end of July and both Kyiv and Moscow have accused each other's forces of shelling the facility. During Thursday's briefing, the head of Russia's radiation, chemical and biological defense forces Igor Kirillov said Zaporizhzhia's back-up support systems had been damaged … [Read more...] about Russia names three countries in nuclear danger over shelling of plant

Ukraine has said a bridge connecting Russia and Russian-occupied Crimea will be dismantled, "voluntarily or not." The Crimean Bridge, also called the Kerch Bridge, is a pair of two bridges, one road and the other rail, connecting the Kerch Peninsula in Crimea to mainland Russia. Stretching 11.8 miles they are the longest bridges in Europe, and the longest bridges Russia has ever constructed. Russia invaded and annexed Crimea , which Western powers still recognize as sovereign Ukrainian territory, in 2014. Bridge construction began two years later, with the road bridge opening in 2018 and the rail bridge in 2019. On Wednesday, Mikhail Podolyak, an advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky y, vowed the bridges will be destroyed. He tweeted: "Regarding 'Kerchen bridge'. It is recorded in international law: Crimea is Ukraine. And that's why this bridge is a banal object of illegal construction, permission for the construction of which Ukraine did not give. "It … [Read more...] about Why Putin’s bridge has become Ukraine’s top target

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan heads to Ukraine Thursday as the most likely peacemaker in a war that has pitted NATO and the European Union firmly against Russia. Erdogan and United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the western city of Lviv, with the nascent UN-Turkish-facilitated Black Sea grain export deal likely top of the agenda. The Turkish president may also be carrying a message from Russian President Vladimir Putin , who he met in the Black Sea resort town of Sochi earlier this month. Erdogan—now needed by both Ukraine and Russia—may yet play a key role in any eventual ceasefire, though for now an end to the fighting looks unlikely. In the meantime Erdogan—ambitious, opportunistic, and pragmatic—will deal with both sides, seeking to stabilize its region, its beleaguered economy, and grow its international influence. "Turkey is trying to find a middle road," said Fatih Ceylan, … [Read more...] about Turkey’s Erdogan jostles to be Putin’s partner, Ukraine peacemaker