The Russian Defense Ministry said yesterday that its forces are not deploying heavy weapons at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine, accusing Kyiv of plotting a “provocation” at the plant. There are only security units,” President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky repeated his call to Russian troops, who have occupied the station since the first weeks of the military operation on February 24, to retreat, given the risks of entering this nuclear facility during ongoing fighting in the east and south, and signaled that his country As the International Atomic Energy Agency stands ready to secure access for its team to the site while at least three people have been killed and ten injured in the Russian bombing of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second city, Russian Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova urged Washington and Western capitals to push Ukrainian forces to end “attacks” on nuclear power plants For weeks, Moscow and Kyiv have traded accusations of attacking nuclear power plants control over Russia, which caused fears in the international community about the catastrophe that toraya may occur if the bombing in the area of this sensitive object continues.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said it was “urgent” for the International Atomic Energy Agency to conduct an “inspection” at the Russian-controlled Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine, as strikes and clashes escalate in its vicinity. the site poses a serious safety hazard and increases the risk of a nuclear accident
After meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, he stressed that Russia’s control over Zaporizhzhya endangers the people of Ukraine and neighboring countries, as well as the international community.
Russian-Chinese joint exercises
Chinese troops headed to Russia to participate in joint military exercises, according to the Ministry of Defense in Beijing.
China’s defense ministry said its participation in the annual Vostok exercise, which Moscow says will take place from Aug. 30 to Sept. 5, is part of a bilateral cooperation agreement with Russia.
“The goal is to deepen practical and friendly cooperation with the armies of the participating countries, increase the level of strategic cooperation, strengthen the ability to respond to various security threats,” the ministry said in a statement, saying that India, Belarus, Mongolia will also take part in the exercises. Tajikistan and other countries.
China and India are accused of providing diplomatic cover for Russia during its months-long war in Ukraine, opposing Western sanctions and arms sales to Kyiv, but Beijing stressed that their participation in the exercise “has nothing to do with the current international and regional situation.” “. This is the second joint military exercise conducted by Chinese and Russian forces this year.
First UN food ship to reach the Bosphorus
The first ship with food aid bound for Africa since the start of the war with Ukraine arrived on Wednesday in the Bosphorus Strait as part of an agreement to resume exports of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea.
Maritime traffic monitoring sites showed the MV Brave Commander (MV Brave Commander) carrying 23 tons of wheat off the coast of Istanbul after it left the Ukrainian port of Pevdeni on the Black Sea. The grain will be loaded onto delivery trucks in Ethiopia, which is at war and famine, in a World Food Program-sponsored operation.
“Opening ports on the Black Sea is the most important thing we can do to help[преодолеть]global hunger,” said WFP Executive Director David Beasley.