Ukrainian Initiative Towards Russia: IAEA Director General Grossi Plans to Attend Kursk Nuclear Power Station
The International Atomic Energy Agency's representative, Grossi, is set to visit the Kursk nuclear power plant next week, as confirmed by their spokesperson. Situated near Kursk city, it's approximately 100 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. Post the Ukrainian offensive against Russia on August 6, Grossi raised concerns about the potential impact of the conflict on the nuclear plant and urged "maximum restraint" from all parties.
In the meantime, Ukrainian President Zelensky paid a visit to troops in the region initiating the August 6 offensive. He engaged in discussions with Army Chief Oleksandr Syrskyj and regional military administration representatives in Sumy. Ukrainian forces have taken control of another settlement and seized more Russian soldiers, thereby augmenting the "exchange fund."
According to Zelensky's declaration, Ukrainian forces now control 94 settlements and over a thousand square kilometers of land in Russia's Kursk region. Per Russian reports, more than 120,000 civilians have fled the region.
Subsequently, Russian domestic intelligence has initiated criminal proceedings against foreign journalists, including a CNN reporter and two Ukrainian journalists. They are being accused of unlawfully crossing the state border.
Compelled by the Ukrainian offensive, air-raid shelters are being established in Kursk. Governor Alexei Smirnov shared a picture of a truck transporting a concrete shelter module on Telegram. Plans are in place to construct 60 such shelters at traffic junctions in Kursk, which is approximately 80 kilometers from the border.
Smirnov also revealed plans to construct shelters in other border cities. As per Smirnov, two Ukrainian rockets and a drone were downed by Russian air defense during the night from Wednesday to Thursday.
Ukrainian air strikes were also reported in other western Russian regions - including Volgograd, where a defense ministry facility caught fire, which was subsequently extinguished. According to AFP news agency, the target was a Russian air force base in Marinovka, approximately 300 kilometers from the border.
Russian forces have seized another settlement close to Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine. The troops are now about 10 kilometers from Pokrovsk, a significant logistics hub in the region. The protection of both Pokrovsk and Torez, a city under threat by the Russian army, was a topic of discussion in Zelensky's talks in Sumy.
Zelensky is set to welcome Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Kyiv on Friday. Modi has positioned himself as a mediator in the Ukraine conflict and called for negotiations on Thursday. "A problem cannot be solved on the battlefield," asserted Modi in Warsaw, where he plans to proceed to Kyiv.
The Kursk nuclear power plant, which is under international scrutiny due to the ongoing conflict, relies on its propulsion systems to maintain its operations. In an effort to ensure safety, Governor Alexei Smirnov has announced plans to construct air-raid shelters near traffic junctions in Kursk, citing the necessity for protection and preparedness.
