Friday, August 19, 2022

[RT] 2022-08-19: Ukrainian forces shell nuclear plant city – official

Original article can be found here: https://www.rt.com/russia/561123-energodar-zaporozhye-nuclear-shelling/

The reported artillery strike comes hours after UN chief warned against such “suicide” attacks
Ukrainian forces shell nuclear plant city – official

Ukrainian forces once again targeted Energodar with artillery on Thursday night, according to Vladimir Rogov, a member of the local administration.

Rogov claimed at least seven shells hit the Russian-controlled city that hosts the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, the largest such facility in Europe. In a Telegram post, Rogov claimed that heavy artillery fire targeted the city around 10:50pm local time.

The Zaporozhye NPP suffered no damage in the strike, local authorities later told Russian media. There were also no immediate reports of any casualties or damage to civilian infrastructure.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres voiced concern about the situation around the nuclear facility earlier on Thursday, during his meeting with Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Lviv.

While he stopped short of blaming either side, Guterres has once again called to demilitarize the area, insisting that an agreement was “urgently needed” to establish Zaporozhye as a “purely civilian infrastructure” to ensure the plant’s safety.

“Common sense must prevail to avoid any actions that might endanger the physical integrity, safety or security of the nuclear plant,” the UN chief said, adding that the facility “must not be used as part of any military operation” and that any damage to the plant would be “suicide.”

Moscow has repeatedly called for an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) mission to the plant, which Guterres said could only happen with Kiev’s approval. Zelensky reiterated on Thursday that any such mission can only take place via Kiev-controlled territory, while calling for an “immediate and unconditional withdrawal” of Russian forces from the area.

However, removing Russian troops “would only make the nuclear power plant more vulnerable,” according to Russian Foreign Ministry deputy spokesman, Ivan Nechayev, who on Thursday cited repeated “provocations” from Kiev’s forces and dismissed the idea of a “demilitarized zone” as “unacceptable.”

The Russian Defense Ministry also warned on Thursday morning that Ukraine might carry out artillery strikes on the Zaporozhye NPP amid the visit by Guterres and Erdogan – and then accuse Moscow of causing a disaster at the site. Ukraine’s military intelligence responded by saying that Russian forces might stage a nuclear “provocation” in the territory they control.

Russian troops took control of the Zaporozhye NPP early on in the course of military operations in Ukraine. The Russian Defense Ministry denies deploying any heavy weapons at the nuclear site, insisting that only Russian troops at the facility are lightly armed guards providing physical security against “provocations.”

Moscow has repeatedly accused Kiev of conducting frequent drone and artillery strikes against the nuclear plant and the city of Energodar since mid-July. Kiev has denied responsibility and said Russian forces were attacking the plant to discredit Ukraine, while also claiming that Russia is using the facility as a military base.

[RT] 2022-08-18: Russia warns of another Chernobyl

Original article can be found here: https://www.rt.com/russia/561091-ukraine-zaporozhye-nuclear-contamination/

Kiev’s shelling of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant could result in a worst-case scenario, Moscow warns
Russia warns of another Chernobyl

Ukraine’s ongoing attacks on the Russia-controlled Zaporozhye nuclear power plant may cause a far worse disaster for Europe than the current energy crisis, a Russian Defense Ministry official has warned.

Igor Kirillov, who heads Russia’s Nuclear Biological and Chemical Defense Troops, illustrated the likely worst-case scenario of a direct hit on Europe’s largest nuclear plant, during a briefing on Thursday. He showed journalists a map, with plumes of radioactive material from the site reaching Poland, Slovakia, Romania, Moldova, Belarus and even Germany.

He blamed Ukraine's Western backers for trying to downplay the danger of targeting the atomic plant, and forgetting the lessons of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster and the 2011 Fukushima nuclear incident.

According to Kirillov, both disasters involved “the failure of support systems, the disruption of power supply and partial and complete shutdown of the cooling systems, which led to overheating of nuclear fuel and the destruction of the reactor”.

The fallout of the Chernobyl disaster affected some 20 countries, while causing 4,000 deaths, a major spike in cancer cases, and the permanent relocation of around 100,000 people. The effects of the Fukushima nuclear incident might seem “insignificant” at first glance, but up to 500,000 people have abandoned their homes because of it, he noted.

“Our experts believe that the actions of the Ukrainian armed forces may cause a similar situation at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant,” Kirillov said.

Strikes by the Kiev forces could render the plant’s cooling systems and other support infrastructure inoperable, which would lead “to overheating of the core and, as a result, the destruction of reactor units at the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, with the release of radioactive substances into the atmosphere and their spreading for hundreds of kilometers,” he warned.

“Such an emergency will cause mass migration of the population and will have more catastrophic consequences than the looming energy crisis in Europe,” the military official added.

Moscow has accused Kiev of carrying out 12 attacks on the nuclear facilitity, which provides energy to both Russian- and Ukrainian-controlled areas, since mid-July.

Ukraine insists that Russian forces are shelling the site, while accusing them of stationing military hardware at the plant. The Russian side has denied both accusations, while also urging International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts to visit the Zaporozhye facility to see what is actually happening.

Monday, August 01, 2022

[Sputnik] 2022-08-01: Pelosi May Visit Taiwan and Meet Leadership on August 2, Reports Suggest

 https://sputniknews.com/20220801/live-updates-pelosi-may-visit-taiwan-and-meet-leadership-on-august-2-reports-suggest-1097994950.html

BEIJING (Sputnik) - US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi may arrive in Taiwan on August 2 and meet with the island's leader, Tsai Ing-wen, the next day, the China Times newspaper reported on Monday, citing diplomatic sources.
The US official is also expected to hold a meeting with other high-ranking officials while in Taiwan and leave the island on Wednesday, the newspaper said.
The Taiwanese foreign ministry has not confirmed these plans yet, the news outlet added.
The House speaker has embarked on a trip to the Indo-Pacific which includes visits to Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea. Pelosi did not mention if Taiwan is on her schedule, amid escalating tensions between China and the US. Beijing has previously issued several warnings, saying that a trip to Taiwan would be a violation of the One China policy.
At the same time, China's People's Liberation Army started military drills on Saturday, conducting a firing exercise in the southeastern province of Fujian across the strait from Taiwan and closing the designated maritime area.

[RT] 2022-08-01: Taiwan’s media makes prediction on Pelosi visit

 Original article can be found here: https://www.rt.com/news/559984-pelosi-taiwan-visit-hotel/

Hotel reservations for the House speaker and her people have been made, a journalist with TVBS News said
Taiwan’s media makes prediction on Pelosi visit

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi may arrive in Taiwan on Tuesday, a local TV news station claimed on Monday. Reservations for the US delegation headed by one of the most senior officials in the country have been made at a five-star hotel, TVBS News said, citing sources.

According to the report, Pelosi and her entourage are to stay at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Taipei’s eastern governmental Xinyi District. Relevant security arrangements have been taken to ensure her safety, the outlet said.

Reservations have also been made in a different hotel in the Zhongshan District, the report added, citing rumors.

Pelosi’s possible visit to the self-governed Chinese island has triggered angry reaction from Beijing, which said Washington was “playing with fire” and may “get burned” as a consequence.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Taiwan has been self-governed since 1949, but never officially declared independence from China, with Beijing considering it a part of its territory under its One-China policy.

Despite agreeing with the One-China policy on paper, the US maintains strong unofficial ties with the island of 23.5 million, selling weapons to Taipei and backing its push for sovereignty.

The list of destinations for her Asian tour that the Speaker shared with the public did not include the island. Taiwan’s government would not comment on any plans to welcome Pelosi.

Beijing launched a military exercise near Taiwan as Pelosi departed from mainland USA for Hawaii last weekend. Some Chinese media have speculated that her plane may declare an emergency to provide a pretext for landing in Taipei.