More shelling raises nuclear fears as Kyiv and Moscow await UN report

Ukraine's critical nuclear power plant was cut off Monday morning (5 September) as Kyiv accused Moscow, one day the before UN nuclear watchdog was scheduled to assess the Zaporizhzhia station.

Russia and Ukraine accuse each other of causing catastrophe by bombarding the plant. Officials claim that the shelling disrupted power lines, and took the only reactor at Europe’s largest nuclear plant offline.

According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the backup power line at the plant was cut in order to extinguish fire, but the line itself wasn't damaged and would be reconnected.

The plant is safe and has sufficient electricity. It will be reconnected to grid power once backup power is restored. This was stated by the watchdog agency before it released its full findings in a Tuesday report.

Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the Ukrainian president, warned Monday of a "radiation catastrophe" in the region and stated that the bombardment showed Russia "doesn't care what the IAEA will tell them."

He said: "Again – already for the second time - because of Russian provocation, Zaporizhzhia Station was placed one step away from a radiation catastrophe," in his nightly video message.

Since Russian troops invaded Ukraine in February, the nuclear issues add to the ongoing energy struggle between Moscow and West.

On Monday, European markets fell as Russia shut down its main gas pipeline to Germany. In the meantime, Kyiv's week-old counter-offensive to Russian forces in the South made its boldest claim of victory on the battlefield.

After Moscow took control in March of Zaporizhzhia, a six-reactor plant in southern Ukraine, it has been a focal point in the six-month conflict. However, Ukrainian engineers are still operating the facility, raising the possibility of a nuclear disaster.

Energoatom, Ukraine's nuclear state company, stated that the plant's final working reactor block was cut off from Ukraine's grid following Russian shelling.

Vladimir Rogov, a Russian-installed official from Zaporizhzhia, stated that Ukrainian shelling had caused damage to a containment vessel near the second reactor, but that it was still in operation.

After days of silence regarding their new offensive, Ukrainian officials posted an online image of three soldiers raising flags over a Kherson provincial town. This is a region in the south occupied since the beginning of World War II.

Zelenskiy released the image of the flag being attached to a pole on top of a roof in Vysokopyllya, north of Kherson. He announced that Ukrainian forces had captured two towns in south and one east, but did not identify them.

COUNTER-ATTACK

After months of suffering from Russian artillery attacks in the east, Ukraine finally began its long-awaited counterattack. This is its largest since March when it defeated Russian forces on the outskirts Kyiv.

Ukraine kept the details of its new campaign secret, excluding journalists from the frontline and providing little commentary to maintain tactical surprise.

Russia claims it repelled attacks in Kherson. However, in rare acknowledgement of the Ukrainian counter-offensives, TASS news agency quoted a Moscow installed official as saying that plans for a referendum to join Russia were halted due to security concerns.

The Ukrainian general staff reported Monday night that its forces had defeated Russian forces in an area close to Kramatorsk, a major town in eastern Donetsk. However, Russian forces had shelled around a dozen other towns in the south.

Zelenskiy warned European countries that they might face a cold winter.

A missile attack by Russian forces on Monday evening destroyed an oil depot in Kryvorizsky, Dnipropetrovsk, according to emergency officials in the area. This was in response to earlier Russian missile strikes.

BLEAK WINTER

Moscow blames the disruption in equipment repairs and maintenance caused to by Western sanctions for the halt in gas flow through Nord Stream 1 its main pipeline to Germany. Russia was supposed to reopen Nord Stream 1 on Saturday, but it is now closed indefinitely.

Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesperson, said Monday that problems with gas supply resulted from sanctions imposed by Western countries including Germany and Britain.

The United States and Europe claim Russia uses energy as a weapon, but they add that they collaborate to secure supplies.

European countries also contributed billions of euro in aid last week, which helped to drive European gas prices down from their record highs.

However, the weekend news about Nord Stream’s extended shutdown caused prices to soar once more on Monday. The main European benchmark rose by more than 35% and drew fears of a harsh winter for both consumers and businesses.

Germany's DAX shareindex was down over 2%. The euro fell below 99 US Cents for the first-time in decades. The pound was at mid-1980s lows against the dollar when Liz Truss was named Britain's next prime minister.

Russia's Peskov promised retaliation to the West's latest move to cap Russian oil exports starting December. This was designed to decrease Moscow's main source of income.

Russia has effectively banned independent media since Vladimir Putin's "special military operation" of 24 February. A judge in Russia revoked on Monday the license to Novaya Gazeta (a liberal newspaper) as one of the last unofficial voices.

Dmitry Muratov (editor), who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last year for his fight for freedom of speech, said that the ruling was "a political hitjob, without any legal basis".

After prosecutors claimed he had disclosed state secrets, a Russian court sentenced a former journalist for treason to 22 years imprisonment. His supporters claim that the case is revenge for his disclosure of details about Russia's international arms agreements.

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