By This was CNBC’s live blog tracking developments on the war in Ukraine.
The United Nations’ atomic energy watchdog sounded the alarm Sunday after drones struck a nuclear reactor at the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in southern Ukraine.
The International Atomic Energy Agency said the serious incident “endangered nuclear safety and security” as Europe’s largest nuclear plant was directly targeted by military strikes for the first time since November 2022. However, it added that there are no indications of critical damage at this stage.
Russia and Ukraine have traded accusations over the attack.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday called for greater international support for his country’s air defense systems, as Russia continues its aerial bombardment of Kharkiv and surrounding regions.
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in China on Monday for talks over Ukraine and the situation in Asia-Pacific.
Russia launched two dozen drone attacks on southern and eastern Ukraine overnight, primarily targeting critical infrastructure and damaging a logistics and transport facility in the Odesa region.
Citizens of Russian city Orsk, which has experienced severe flooding in recent days, protested on Monday against what they view as inaction from local authorities, according to regional news outlet The Moscow Times.
Water levels in Europe’s third-longest river, the Ural, which runs through Orsk, have been rising significantly for several days due to melting snow. Two dams in Orsk were said to have burst, allowing parts of the city to flood.
The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations said on Telegram that thousands of citizens have been evacuated and that the head of the ministry has visited Orsk.
Rescuers were working to rebuild and reinforce dams as water levels in the region and along the Ural river are still expected to rise further, the ministry added.
— Sophie Kiderlin
Russia’s state-owned Promsvyazbank on Monday said it had launched “special military operation” bank cards for combat veterans, giving them a form of electronic identification and a simple way to get access to social benefits.
Russia refers to the war in Ukraine as a “special military operation”, although the Kremlin said last month that the conflict had “become a war” because of the involvement of the West.
Promsvyazbank offers a range of services but has focused on state employees and the defence sector since it was bailed out by the central bank in 2017. It has opened branches in the four regions of Ukraine that Moscow claimed to have annexed in 2022.
The bank has now started issuing cards in Avdiivka, a town captured by Russia in February, the Donetsk region’s pro-Russian information ministry said on Monday.
Promsvyazbank did not immediately respond to a request for comment when asked about Avdiivka.
Russian President Vladimir Putin moved to annex Ukraine’s Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions in September 2022, following what Ukraine said were sham referendums. The move was condemned by many countries as illegal.
Russian forces only partly control the four regions.
— Reuters
The Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant on Monday alleged that a Ukrainian drone was shot down over one of its reactors, a day after Russia accused Ukraine of launching three drone attacks on the plant.
Russia has also accused Ukraine without evidence of facilitating last month’s terror attack in Moscow that killed 140 people. Terror group ISIS-K claimed responsibility.
Kyiv denies having anything to do with Sunday’s strikes or the terror attack, and on Monday Ukraine’s state nuclear energy company accused Moscow of orchestrating a “campaign of provocations.”
The head of Ukraine’s center for countering disinformation, Lieutenant Andriy Kovalenko, said on Monday that Russia’s attempts to blame Ukraine for the terror attack were “propaganda.”
“At the same time, Russia is striking the ZNPP with drones, pretending that the threat to the plant and nuclear safety is coming from Ukraine,” he added.
– Elliot Smith
Bank of Russia Governor Elvira Nabiullina told lawmakers in Russia’s lower house of parliament that production in the country is being constrained by worker shortages, according to Reuters.
Nabiullina reportedly told the State Duma that Russia’s economy is continuing to grow at an impressive rate.
— Elliot Smith
The United Nations’ atomic energy watchdog sounded the alarm Sunday after drones struck a nuclear reactor at the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in southern Ukraine.
The International Atomic Energy Agency said the serious incident “endangered nuclear safety and security” as Europe’s largest nuclear plant was directly targeted by military strikes for the first time since November 2022. However, it added that there are no indications of critical damage at this stage.
“This is a major escalation of the nuclear safety and security dangers facing the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant. Such reckless attacks significantly increase the risk of a major nuclear accident and must cease immediately,” IAEA Director General Grossi said.
Russian nuclear power company Rosatom said Ukraine’s military was behind the attack, without providing any evidence. Ukraine has denied any involvement and alleged Russia launched the drones.
— Elliot Smith
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday called for international allies to provide more support for the country’s air defense systems.
Russia has been bombarding Ukraine’s second-largest city of Kharkiv and surrounding regions.
“We are looking for ways to increase Kharkiv’s ability to protect the sky. This is a task for both our military and diplomats, who are in charge of international communication and must maintain daily dialogue with partners,” Zelenskyy said in a post on X.
“There are air defense systems around the world that can help. Only political will is required to transfer them to Ukraine. I am grateful to the countries that have already helped.”
— Elliot Smith
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in China on Monday for talks with Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, Russia’s foreign ministry confirmed on the Telegram messaging app.
Moscow earlier said the two nations would discuss a variety of topics including bilateral relations, the war in Ukraine and the geopolitical situation in Asia-Pacific, along with cooperation in international organizations such as the United Nations and the Group of 20.
— Elliot Smith
Russia launched 24 drone attacks on Ukraine overnight, primarily targeting critical infrastructure in the south and east of the country, Ukraine’s air force said on the Telegram messaging app.
The air force said it destroyed 17 Iranian-made Shahed drones over the regions of Odesa, Mykolaiv, Kirovograd, Khmelnytskyi and Zhytomyr, while a Kh-59 guided missile was destroyed over Dnipropetrovsk.
Four more drones were destroyed in Odesa, regional governor Oleg Kiper said on Telegram.
“Unfortunately, there is a hit in the Odesa district. The logistics and transport facility was damaged. The gas station was also damaged by the wreckage of the downed Shahed. People were not injured,” Kiper said, according to a Google translation.
— Elliot Smith
Moscow reports concert terror attack link to Kyiv; Zelenskyy says Ukraine stabilized battle positions
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron will travel to the United States next week where he will urge politicians to approve a package of military aid for Ukraine.
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson has held up a bill for months that would supply $60 billion in military and financial aid for Ukraine.
Cameron said he would meet Johnson to urge him to pass the aid package.
“Britain has put forward its money for Ukraine this year, so has the European Union. America needs to do it,” Cameron said on social media platform X. “Speaker Johnson can make it happen in Congress. I am going to go see him next week and say we need that money, Ukraine needs that money.”
— Reuters
Ukrainian military drones attacked the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant but caused no damage to its critical infrastructure, Russian state-run RIA news agency quoted the press service of the Russian-controlled facility as saying.
Reuters could not independently verify the alleged incident. In the past, both sides have accused each other of shelling the plant, none of whose six reactors are operating.
— Reuters
Photos published via Getty Images on Friday showed residents of Ukraine’s southern Kherson region after Russian shelling had injured three people and damaged residential houses.
— Sam Meredith
