Ukraine accused Russia yesterday of exploiting its capture of a nuclear power plant to fire rockets at a nearby town in an attack that killed at least 13 people and wounded many others.
The town Ukraine says Russia targeted — Marhanets — is one Moscow says its foes have used in the past to shell Russian soldiers at the Zaporizhzhia plant, which they seized in March.
Ukraine and Russia have accused each other of imperilling the plant, Europe’s largest nuclear complex, with attacks nearby.
After the United Nations’ atomic energy watchdog sounded the alarm over a potential nuclear disaster, the Group of Seven leading industrialised countries yesterday told Russia to hand back the plant to Ukraine.
There are no indications that their demand will sway Moscow, which yesterday received powerful endorsement from China of its rationale for the February 24 invasion of Ukraine.
Beijing’s ambassador to Moscow, Zhang Hanhui, accused Washington of backing Russia into a corner with repeated expansions of the western-led Nato military alliance and support for Ukraine’s alignment with the European Union.
“As the initiator and main instigator of the Ukrainian crisis, Washington, while imposing unprecedented comprehensive sanctions on Russia, continues to supply arms and military equipment to Ukraine,” Zhang was quoted as saying.
“Their ultimate goal is to exhaust and crush Russia with a protracted war and the cudgel of sanctions.”
Beijing is also involved in a standoff with the United States over Taiwan: China has been conducting huge military drills around the self-ruled island it claims as its own since the visit of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Russia has not commented on the Ukrainian allegations of an attack on Marhanets and Reuters could not independently verify Kyiv’s version. Moscow says it does not deliberately target civilians.
Ukraine says around 500 Russian troops with heavy vehicles and weapons are at the plant, where Ukrainian technicians continue to work.
Ukraine’s state nuclear power firm has warned that containers with radioactive material might be shelled and said it is vital Kyiv retake the plant by winter. It accuses Russia of wanting to connect the facility to its power grid.
Russia says its forces are behaving responsibly and ensuring the complex’s safety.
Valentyn Reznychenko, governor of Ukraine’s central Dnipropetrovsk region, said yesterday that the Russian attack on Marhanets was carried out with 80 Grad rockets.
More than 20 buildings had been damaged in the town on the other side of the Dnipro river from the power plant, he said.
The war has crushed Ukraine’s economy, but there was some relief yesterday when overseas creditors backed Kyiv’s request for a two-year freeze on payments on almost $20bn in international bonds. That should avert a messy default.
Ukraine said that would save around $5bn as it manages its dwindling financial resources.
“The two-year debt freeze makes sense because even if the war ends soon, Ukraine’s situation is not going to improve overnight,” said Stuart Culverhouse, chief economist at London-based research firm Tellimer.
Ukrainian artist Olena Yanko paints a car destroyed during Russia’s attack on Ukraine and then collected from different places in the town of Irpin in Kyiv region, yesterday. (Reuters)
