Dhe Ukrainian government has appealed to the Greens to let the last nuclear power plants in Germany continue to operate beyond the end of the year. The coming winter will be a “key winter,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi’s closest adviser, Mykhailo Podoliak, to the “daily mirror“. In view of the throttling of Russian gas supplies, it does not make sense to shut down the three plants in December
“It is imperative that we use everything we have to create a new energy map in Europe as quickly as possible and to stop financing Russia’s war,” stressed the presidential adviser. This is also a question of leadership. “We are paying a high price, many people are dying. We hope that our partners will see and understand this award and do everything possible on their part,” said Podoljak.
More news in the live ticker:
12.30 p.m. – Russia continues to bring technology to Belarus
According to the Ukrainian general staff, Russia is continuing to transfer war technology to neighboring Belarus. Among other things, in the border area with the western Ukrainian region of Volhynia, additional forces and equipment for air defense would be stationed on Belarusian territory, the general staff in Kyiv said on Sunday. This could not initially be checked independently.
The former Soviet Republic of Belarus has never officially entered Russia’s war. Shortly after the invasion began at the end of February, the authoritarian ruler Alexander Lukashenko admitted that Russian rockets had been fired from Belarusian territory in the direction of Ukraine.
Lukashenko is considered a close partner of Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin. Belarusian opposition figures who have fled abroad accuse Lukashenko’s power apparatus of collaboration.
12:29 p.m. – Ex-Putin’s special envoy in Germany?
According to a media report, former Russian special envoy Anatoly Chubais has left the intensive care unit in an Italian hospital. “He’s doing better,” reported the daily newspaper “La Repubblica” on Sunday. Accordingly, the 67-year-old was released from the Mater Olbia hospital in Sardinia late Saturday morning. He had traveled to Frankfurt to recover there in a rehabilitation clinic. Some media and opposition figures had speculated that he might have been poisoned.
Anatoly Chubais
Source: dpa/epa Mikhail Metzel Pool
Two insiders had previously told Reuters news agency that Chubais had Guillain-Barré syndrome. The rare autoimmune disease that attacks the nervous system can cause life-threatening problems such as severe breathing difficulties and blood clots. The results of the toxicological tests are not yet available, the Italian daily wrote. But Chubais responded to the treatment “so that the doctors are sure” that his health problems were Guillain-Barré syndrome. He was able to leave the hospital without outside help.
A month after the Russian attack on Ukraine, Chubais resigned his post as President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy for relations with international organizations and left Russia in March.
10:51 am – British: Russia has sacked six commanders since the start of the war
According to British information, half a dozen high-ranking Russian military officers have been dismissed since the Russian invasion of Ukraine almost six months ago. Poor performance by the armed forces during the invasion had been costly to Russia’s military leadership, most likely resulting in the dismissal of at least six commanders, Britain’s Defense Ministry said in its regular intelligence update on Sunday. Among others, General Alexander Dwornikov was deposed after he was given overall command of the operation in Ukraine.
In addition, at least ten Russian generals were killed on the battlefield in Ukraine, the British wrote. All of this probably contributed to Russia’s tactical and operational difficulties in the war of aggression.
10:00 a.m. – Grain carrier arrives later
The grain carrier Razoni, which became the first ship to leave a Ukrainian port under the Ukraine-Russia agreement, will not arrive in Lebanon this Sunday as expected. This is reported by the Ukrainian embassy there on request. The “Razoni” left the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Odessa on Monday and was due to moor in Tripoli in northern Lebanon this Sunday. The Ukrainian embassy said the freighter was late, but gave no details. Shipping data on MarineTraffic.com shows the “Razoni” off the Turkish coast on Sunday morning. The freighter has loaded around 26,500 tons of grain.
09:50 – Second grain convoy underway
A second convoy of freighters loaded with agricultural goods has left the port, according to Ukrainian sources. Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov tweeted that four ships had left Ukrainian Black Sea ports under the framework agreement agreed between Turkey and the United Nations with Russia. These are the freighters Mustafa Necati, Star Helena, Glory and Riva Wind. They would have loaded a total of almost 170,000 tons of grain.
08:00 – Zelenskyy: “Strong results” on destruction
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recognized the achievements of his country’s armed forces this week. They had “strong results” in the destruction of Russian logistical equipment and positions in the rear, says Selenskyj in his video speech on Sunday night. “Each strike against the enemy’s ammunition depots, command posts and stockpiles of Russian equipment saves the lives of all of us, the lives of the Ukrainian military and civilians.”
06:56 – Russia shells frontline cities
According to the Ukrainian military, Russian troops have shelled dozens of towns on the eastern front line. They tried to attack in six different areas in the Donetsk region, the Ukrainian military said late Saturday night. However, the attackers failed to gain ground. The Ukrainian armed forces prevented that.
11:00 p.m. – IAEA chief warns of nuclear catastrophe at Zaporizhia nuclear plant
The International Atomic Energy Agency has been alarmed by the shelling of the Ukrainian nuclear power plant in Zaporizhia during fighting between Russian and Ukrainian troops. IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi on Saturday warned of the risk of a nuclear disaster that could threaten public health and the environment in Ukraine and beyond.
He was “extremely concerned” about Friday’s events. “Any military firepower aimed at or emanating from the facility would be playing with fire, with potentially catastrophic consequences,” Grossi said. A threat to the security of Zaporizhia must be avoided “at all costs”.
Europe’s largest nuclear power plant was occupied by the Russian army in March, but is still operated by the Ukrainian state-owned company Energoatom and its workforce. Ukraine and the US accuse Russia of using the nuclear power plant as a protective shield. Russia rejects this.
On Friday, Energoatom shut down one of the six reactors after an artillery shell damaged a high-voltage power line that is vital to the operation. Ukraine and Russia blamed each other for the shelling and accused each other of risking a nuclear disaster. According to Energoatom, no radioactivity escaped.