Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on European nations to support his country’s fight against the Russian military. Appearing on video, Mr Zelensky addressed thousands of people protesting against the war in several European cities – naming among them Paris, Prague, Lyon, Frankfurt and others.
He asked the big crowds not to be silent about what is going on in his country, PA reports.
“Don’t turn a blind eye on this,” he said. “Come out and support Ukraine as much as you can,” he said through a translator. “If we fall, you will fall,” he said.
“And if we win, and I’m sure we’ll win, this will be the victory of the whole democratic world, this will be the victory of our freedom, this will be the victory of light over darkness, of freedom over slavery. And if we win we will become as blossoming as Europe. And Europe will be flourishing more than ever,” he said.
“All of you are Ukrainians today, thank you for this.”
Earlier, it was revealed that no radiation was released from a Russian attack at Europe’s biggest nuclear power plant in Ukraine.
The International Atomic Energy Agency’s director-general, Rafael Mariano Grossi, said on Friday the building hit by a Russian “projectile” at the Zaporizhzhia plant was “not part of the reactor” but instead a training centre at the plant.
Nuclear officials from Sweden to China said no radiation spikes had been reported, as did Mr Grossi. Ukrainian officials have said Russian troops took control of the overall site, but the plant’s staff were continuing to ensure its operations.
Mr Grossi said the Ukrainians were in control of the reactor.
In the frenzied initial aftermath when the risk of a radiation release was not clear, the attack caused worldwide concern — and evoked memories of the world’s worst nuclear disaster, at Ukraine’s Chernobyl.
Facing worldwide indignation over the attack, Russia sought to deflect blame.
Without producing evidence, defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov blamed arson rather than artillery fire.
He claimed a Ukrainian “sabotage group” had occupied the training building at the plant, fired on a Russian patrol and set fire to the building as they left.
There had been conflicting reports earlier over which part of the Zaporizhzhia facility had been affected in the attack, with an official saying at one point that shells fell directly on the facility and set fire to a reactor not in operation as well as a training building.
Mr Grossi later said that the fire was in the training centre.
The confusion itself underscored the dangers of active fighting near a nuclear power plant.
It was the second time since the invasion began just over a week ago that concerns about a nuclear accident or a release of radiation materialized, following a battle at Chernobyl.
Mr Grossi said only one reactor of six at Zaporizhzhia is currently operating, at about 60% capacity, and that two people at the site were injured in the fire.
Ukraine’s state nuclear plant operator Enerhoatom said three Ukrainian soldiers were killed and two wounded.
The plant fire came as the Russian military advanced on a strategic city on the Dnieper River near where the facility is located, and gained ground in their bid to cut the country off from the sea.
That move would deal a severe blow to Ukraine’s economy and could worsen an already dire humanitarian situation.
With the invasion in its second week, another round of talks between Russia and Ukraine yielded a tentative agreement to set up safe corridors to evacuate citizens and deliver humanitarian aid to the country, overturned by a war that has sent more than one million fleeing over the border and countless others sheltering underground.
In other developments:
Boris Johnson believes Vladimir Putin intends to “double down” on his invasion of Ukraine, as the Russian president envisages “no way out” but to “continue with the destruction”.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has warned there is a risk of a “new Cold War” and that “a new Iron Curtain will descend upon Europe”. He said Putin was “playing with fire” by attacking the Zaporizhzhia nuclear site in Ukraine.
Social network Facebook has been blocked by Russia for its 146 million citizens amid the Ukraine invasion, a state regulator has said. The country’s communications watchdog, Roskomnadzor, said that due to “cases of discrimination against Russian media”, the platform had been blocked.
The head of the United Nations’ atomic watchdog said there has been no release of radiation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine following shelling by Russian forces.
Bank accounts held by a British businessman have been frozen over allegations they contain money linked to Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska. The National Crime Agency (NCA) said it had obtained two account freezing orders in respect of five accounts held by Graham Bonham-Carter.
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