Threat of Russian missiles cause sirens to sound at Ukrainian power plant
03:07
What we covered here
A team of UN nuclear inspectors has arrived at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Ukraine’s nuclear operator Energoatom said. The team plans to establish a permanent presence at the Russian-occupied plant, where constant shelling has sparked fears of a nuclear accident.
The Ukrainian military says it is keeping up the pressure on Russian forces in the southern Kherson region, with attacks on several targets Thursday, including bridges across the Dnipro river.
The European Union has agreed to reduce the number of new visas available to Russian citizens, but stopped short of an outright ban on travel to the bloc.
UN nuclear inspectors visited the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Here are the top headlines.
From CNN staff
A team of UN nuclear inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has arrived at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, in southeastern Ukraine, despite nearby shelling.
IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said the some members of the agency plan to stay at the plant until Saturday, but will continue to have a permanent presence of some kind at the facility, where constant fighting has sparked fears of a nuclear accident.
Here are the top headlines:
What the IAEA found: Grossi said his team was able to gather “a lot” of information in a few hours during their visit to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. “The key things I needed to see, I saw,” he said in a video released by a Russian state news. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that an agreement to allow independent journalists to accompany the IAEA delegation was not upheld.
Ukraine accuses Russia of disrupting IAEA visit: Ukraine is accusing Russian forces of trying to disrupt the visit of nuclear inspectors to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant by shelling the nearby city of Enerhodar. Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday that Russia is doing everything so that the IAEA mission can safely carry out its work
Fifth Zaporizhzhia reactor shut down: The fifth reactor at the nuclear power plant was shut down and its emergency protection system activated on Thursday due to shelling, Ukraine’s nuclear operator Energoatom said in a statement. The plant, which was disconnected from the country’s power grid last Thursday, has six reactors, only two of which have been functioning.
Workers in the plant: An employee named Olga still working at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine, told CNN she felt like a hostage. Olga said she wasn’t convinced the IAEA mission would get the full picture, but hoped they would see “all the (Russian) soldiers, equipment, helicopters and the damage caused by their shelling.”
Ukraine’s counterattack: The Ukrainian military says it is keeping up the pressure on Russian forces in the southern Kherson region, with attacks on several targets Thursday. Ukrainian forces have focused on degrading Russian supply lines, ammunition depots and rear bases in the south. The military also said the situation in the eastern Donetsk region is virtually unchanged, despite weeks of efforts by Russian forces and their allies.
Russia facing “severe” troop shortages: The US believes that Russia is facing “severe” shortages of military personnel in Ukraine and is seeking new ways to increase its troop levels. “We believe that the Russian Ministry of Defense (MOD) is seeking to recruit contract service members to make up for these personnel shortages, including by compelling wounded soldiers to reenter combat, acquiring personnel from private security companies, and paying bonuses to conscripts,” a US official told CNN.
Distancing from Russian gas: Germany will install a fifth floating liquefied natural gas terminal at a port city in the northwest part of the country. It comes as Germany, like many other countries in Europe, look to become independent of Russian gas imports and secure supplies for future winters, the country’s economic ministry said.
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Zelensky says he welcomes IAEA mission to Zaporizhzhia, despite "provocations"
From CNN's Tim Lister and Julia Kesaieva
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the visit by the International Atomic Energy Agency to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant on Thursday, despite what he called “all the provocations of the Russian military” on the city of Enerhodar and at the station.
In his daily video message, Zelensky said it was “bad that the occupiers are trying to turn this IAEA mission — which is really necessary — into a fruitless tour of the station. I trust that this will not be allowed to happen.”
Zelensky also claimed that an agreement to allow independent journalists to accompany the IAEA delegation was not upheld.
“Unfortunately, the occupiers did not let journalists in, but organized a crowd of their propagandists,” he said. “Unfortunately, IAEA representatives did not protect representatives of independent media.”
He also stressed again that the area around the plant should be demilitarized.
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Ukrainians say Russians are making no progress in Donetsk offensive
From CNN's Tim Lister
Ukrainian servicemen fire at a position in the Donetsk region on August 26.
Sofiia Gatilova/Reuters
The Ukrainian military says the situation in the eastern Donetsk region is virtually unchanged, despite weeks of efforts by Russian forces and their allies in the Donbas militias to take new territory.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s declared objective is to take all of the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, but Ukrainian forces still control more than one-third of Donetsk.
The Ukrainian military’s General Staff said Thursday that once again the Russians had tried to attack in several directions, towards the city of Sloviansk and the towns of Bakhmut and Avdiivka.
In each instance, the General Staff said, Russian forces had been unsuccessful and had withdrawn.
It spoke of heavy attacks with tanks, artillery and mortars in the south where Ukrainian forces are trying to weaken Russian defenses.
According to the General Staff, the Russians had fired on 15 settlements in the region, mostly along the borders of Mykolaiv and Kherson regions, which have been an active front line for more than two months.
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Ukrainian military says it is focusing attacks on bridges and other Russian positions near Kherson
From CNN's Julia Kesaieva
Black smoke rises at the front line in Mykolaiv Oblast in southern Ukraine on August 30.
(Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP/Getty Images)
The Ukrainian military says it is keeping up the pressure on Russian forces in the southern Kherson region, with attacks on several targets Thursday, including bridges across the Dnipro river.
Its Operational Command South said, “Our missile and artillery units conducted fire missions on three control points, a radar station, two points of concentration of enemy manpower, weapons and equipment.”
“An attempt to establish a new pontoon crossing in the Dariivka area was also cut down by our fire,” it said.
It added that fire against the Kakhovskyi Bridge left several additional holes, which meant it remained unusable to occupying forces.
Ukrainian forces have focused in the last two months on degrading Russian supply lines, ammunition depots and rear bases in the south.
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UK finance minister hopes G7 ministers will agree to a price cap on Russian oil exports
From CNN's Manveena Suri in New Delhi
Britain’s Chancellor of the Exchequer Nadeem Zahawi said on Thursday that he is hopeful that G7 ministers will agree on Friday to a price cap scheme for Russian oil exports.
Speaking at an event organized by Washington, DC-based think tank American Enterprise Institute, Zahawi said the primary reason he was in the US was “to get this oil price gap over the line.”
Some background: Russia’s government is making just as much money from energy exports as it was before its invasion of Ukraine. Meanwhile, inflation is surging globally.
With price caps, barrels of Russian oil could theoretically still make their way onto the global market, thereby avoiding a further supply crunch — but Moscow wouldn’t be able to keep raking in hefty profits.
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Nuclear inspectors went to Zaporizhzhia plant despite shelling near the facility, IAEA chief says
From CNN's Sugam Pokharel and Amy Cassidy
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi said he and his team went to inspect the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant Thursday despite shelling near the plant earlier in the day.
“Heavy machine gun artillery, mortars two or three times were really pretty concerning, I would say, for all of us. We had splendid support from the United Nations Security team that is here with me as well. So I think we showed that the international community is there, could be there and we are continuing this,” he added.
Grossi’s remarks come as Ukraine accused Russian forces of trying to disrupt the IAEA visit to the nuclear plant by shelling in the city of Enerhodar near the facility early Thursday.
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Chief of UN nuclear watchdog says he'll continue to worry until situation at Zaporizhzhia plant stabilizes
From CNN’s Amy Cassidy and Sugam Pokharel
IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi speaks with journalists at a Ukrainian checkpoint after a part of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) mission came back from a Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant on September 1.
(Anna Voitenko/Reuters)
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi said Thursday he would continue to worry until the situation at Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant had stabilized.
“Wherever you stand, whatever you think about this war. This is something that cannot happen and this is why we are trying to put in place certain mechanisms and the presence,” he added.
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IAEA chief says the UN nuclear watchdog will have "continued presence" at Zaporizhzhia plant
From CNN’s Amy Cassidy and Sugam Pokharel
Rafael Grossi, the chief of International Atomic Energy Agency, said Thursday that the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog is “not going anywhere” and will have a “continued presence” at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.
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Most UN inspectors have left Zaporizhzhia plant following visit, Ukraine's nuclear operator says
From CNN's Yulia Kesaieva
Russian military vehicles escort the motorcade transporting the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) mission while leaving the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant on September 1.
(Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters)
Most inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency mission, including its chief Rafael Grossi, have left the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant following a visit on Thursday, Ukraine’s nuclear operator Energoatom said in a statement.
“As of now, five representatives of IAEA have stayed in the ZNPP, who are unloading the equipment brought with them and continue to work,” it said.
It is expected that the remaining inspectors would stay at the plant until Sept. 3, Energoatom added.
The Russian-installed governor of occupied areas of Zaporizhzhia, Yevhen Balytskyi, also told RIA Novosti the mission will stay at the plant until Saturday.
The head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog, Rafael Grossi, told reporters that he and his team were able to look at “key things,” according to a video released by Russian state news agency RIA Novosti.
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"We feel like hostages," Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant worker tells CNN
From CNN's Oleksandra Ochman and Saskya Vandoorne in Kyiv
An employee, still working at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine, told CNN she felt like a hostage.
Olga, whose name has been changed to protect her identity, said the working conditions for the employees at the plant are “very stressful,” and alleged that the Russian guards are often violent.
Employees are searched by Russian soldiers every day and cannot carry phones, flash drives or memory cards to work, according to Olga.
Speaking from her home in the Russian-occupied town of Enerhodar, she said she stayed home during the visit by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) because she said she was frightened by the “constant shelling.”
Olga said she wasn’t convinced the IAEA mission would get the full picture, but hoped they would see “all the (Russian) soldiers, equipment, helicopters and the damage caused by their shelling.”
Despite the IAEA’s visit, Olga said her future is bleak.
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Germany plans to boost liquefied natural gas capacity as Russian gas dwindles
From CNN’s Nadine Schmidt in Berlin
Germany will charter a fifth floating liquefied natural gas terminal as the country looks to become independent of Russian gas imports and secure supplies for future winters, the country’s economic ministry announced Thursday.
The terminal for the import of LNG will be installed in Wilhelmshaven, a port city in northwestern Germany.
It will have a capacity of 5 billion cubic meters per year and will be operated by a consortium made up of energy companies EON, Engie and Tree Energy Solutions, according to the ministry. It is scheduled to become fully operational at the end of 2023.
Germany has been under pressure from Ukraine and other nations in Europe reduce its reliance on Russian energy supplies since the start of the invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24.
“All the steps we take to free ourselves as quickly as possible from the clutches of Russian imports are more necessary than ever,” Germany’s Vice Chancellor and Economy Minister Robert Habeck told reporters on Thursday.
For future winters, the newly chartered floating unit is expected fill the gap left by Russian gas imports, which covered 55% of Germany’s demand before the invasion of Ukraine.
The five government-chartered terminals have a total capacity of 25 billion cubic meters per year, with the first set to begin pumping gas around the end of 2022.
Some background: Russian state energy giant Gazprom cut all deliveries through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline on Wednesday in what it said was a planned shutdown until Saturday for maintenance work.
In recent months, Gazprom has slashed flows through Nord Stream 1 to just 20% of capacity, citing maintenance issues and blaming Western sanctions on exports of technology imposed in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
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"Key things I needed to see, I saw": IAEA chief visiting Zaporizhzhia plant, according to Russian media
From CNN's Yulia Kesaieva in Kyiv and Fred Pleitgen
A motorcade transporting the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) mission, escorted by the Russian military, arrives at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plan on September 1.
Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters
The head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog, Rafael Grossi, said his team was able to gather “a lot” of information in a few hours while visiting the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant Thursday.
He was able to look at the “key things” he needed to see, Grossi told reporters in a video released by Russian state news agency RIA Novosti.
“We were able, in these few hours, to gather a lot, a lot of information. The key things I needed to see, I saw,” he said in the video.
Grossi left the plant following the visit, RIA Novosti reported.
The news agency published a video where some United Nations vehicles were seen leaving the facility. It is not clear whether the rest of the members of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspection team are still at the plant.
The IAEA has not yet independently confirmed Grossi’s departure from the plant. CNN has contacted the agency for comment.
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EU decision to suspend simplified visas for Russians is "ridiculous," Kremlin says
From CNN's Anna Chernova and Chris Liakos
European Union leaders’ political agreement to suspend the bloc’s visa facilitation agreement with Moscow, making it harder for Russian citizens to obtain Schengen visas, is “ridiculous” and will make life more complicated for Europeans as well, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Thursday.
“This is bad for the Russians because it will most likely take longer and more difficult to obtain visas,” Peskov told reporters on a conference call. “Of course, withdrawing this agreement will also make the situation more difficult for the Europeans.”
This is “another ridiculous solution to an ongoing absurdity,” Peskov went on to say.
Some background: Following a two day informal meeting in Prague, EU’s foreign ministers on Wednesday reached an agreement to fully suspend the visa facilitation deal between the European Union and Russia. They stopped short of an outright ban on travel to the bloc.
Noting that this is only a political agreement at this point and not legal text, top EU diplomat Josep Borrell said that once adopted, the decision “will significantly reduce the number of new visas issued by the EU member states.”
It is not yet clear when the suspension would come into force.
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China and India participate in Russia’s Vostok military exercises
From CNN’s Beijing bureau, Martin Goillandeau in London and Swati Gupta in New Delhi
Chinese service members at the opening ceremony for joint military exercises in the far eastern Primorsky region of Russia on August 31.
(Russian Defense Ministry/Reuters)
China and India are taking part in large-scale joint military exercises led by Russia in its Eastern Military District, the two countries’ defense ministries have confirmed.
Belarus, Mongolia, Tajikistan and other countries are also participating in the exercises.
More than 2,000 troops, as well as more than 300 vehicles of various types, 21 fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, and three ships were also sent by China to the exercise, according to state-run tabloid The Global Times.
“As per the annual cooperation plan between the Chinese and Russian militaries and the consensus reached by the two sides, the PLA (People’s Liberation Army) recently sent troops to Russia to participate in the Vostok-2022 exercise,” Senior Colonel Tan Kefei, spokesperson for China’s Ministry of National Defense, said in a press conference last week.
Tan added that the PLA’s participation aimed to “deepen practical and friendly cooperation with other participating militaries, enhance strategic coordination among participating parties, and strengthen the capability to jointly respond to various security threats.”
In mid-August, China’s defense ministry said that the drills were “unrelated to the current international and regional situation.”
An Indian Army contingent will also take part in in the drills, India’s Ministry of Defence said.
“The Indian Army contingent will look forward to sharing practical aspects and put into practice the validated drills, procedures and practice amalgamation of new technology through discussions and tactical exercises,” the release added.
For context: India has participated in similar exercises with China and Russia in the past, but this latest one comes amid heightened tensions over both Taiwan and Ukraine. Over the past six months, India has refrained from taking a strong stance on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine despite heavy pressure from Western countries.
In total, more than 50,000 servicemen and over 5,000 units of weapons and military equipment — including 140 aircraft, 60 warships, boats and support vessels — will be involved in the Vostok-2022 exercises, according to Russian state news agency TASS.
Russia last staged its Vostok drills in 2018, which it then branded as its “largest war games since the fall of the Soviet Union,” including thousands of troops from China and Mongolia.
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Russia-appointed official tells state media that IAEA mission will stay until Sept. 3
From CNN's Uliana Pavlova
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) mission is planning on inspecting operational parts of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and will visit its reactors on Thursday, the Russian-installed governor of occupied areas of Zaporizhzhia, Yevhen Balytskyi, told Russian state news agency RIA Novosti.
According to Balytskyi, the mission will stay at the plant until Sept. 3.
The IAEA mission arrived at the plant Thursday afternoon local time after being delayed on the Ukrainian-controlled side of the front line for about three hours.
While setting off for the plant from the Ukrainian-controlled city of Zaporizhzhia earlier Thursday, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said the mission would persevere despite the “inherent risks” his monitoring team would face.
Grossi said there are plans to establish a permanent presence at the plant, which was captured by Russian troops in March. Both sides have accused each other of shelling it.
According to RIA Novosti, a representative from Russia’s state nuclear energy company Rosatom showed the plant to the IAEA mission, including the consequences of shelling that the Russian side blames on the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
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Ukraine cannot guarantee security for IAEA mission, energy minister says
From CNN’s Sergio Olmos in Zaporizhzhia region, Daria Markina in Kyiv and Anastasia Graham-Yooll in London
Ukrainian Minister of Energy, Herman Halushchenko, talks to media prior a meeting in Brussels on July 26.
Thierry Monasse/Getty Images
Ukraine cannot grant all the security for the team of UN nuclear inspectors at the Zaporizhzia nuclear plant, Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said, stressing that the situation around the nuclear facility remains “a mess.”
Rafael Grossi, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), was told that security is “your own responsibility,” Halushchenko said.
Grossi seemed “confident to assume the risk,” he added.
Halushchenko was speaking in Novooleksandrivka in the Zaporizhzhia region earlier on Thursday, where he accompanied the IAEA delegation before they traveled on to the Russian-occupied territory.
Remember: The Zaporizhzhia region is still in Ukrainian control but the nuclear power plant is occupied by the Russians.
“Ukraine fulfilled all international obligations and gave every possibility for this mission to come, ” Halushchenko told reporters, praising the bravery of the mission participants in facing “challenges never seen before” in IAEA history.
Halushchenko said he understands the mission has “some security agreement with the Russians” and suggested several members of the team would stay onsite “for several days,” but said Grossi is due to arrive back in Novooleksandrivka on Thursday.
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CNN on the ground: What the scene is like at Ukraine's second-largest nuclear plant as daily threats continue
From CNN's Rebecca Wright and Olga Konovalova in Mykolaiv region
The director of the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant (SUNPP) heads down into the emergency bunker with his team, a daily occurrence when air raid sirens sound warning that Russian missiles could be approaching.
Ihor Polovych and his team have learned to work effectively from the well-equipped basement room of the SUNPP in the Mykolaiv region, assessing the potential incoming danger and returning above ground when they are assured by the military that their plant is not the target.
His assistant tells him that this alarm sounded because there were “planes over Crimea with guided missiles onboard” and “nobody knows where they will fly.”
During CNN’s exclusive visit to Ukraine’s second-largest nuclear power plant on Wednesday, air raid sirens sounded four times within the space of a few hours, emphasizing the uncertainty and fear which the workers are facing.
“Given that we are close to the frontline, the personnel feels the danger,” Polovych said.
At least three times since the invasion began six months ago, Russian missiles have soared above the SUNPP, coming dangerously close to power lines and risking the safety of the plant.
But the team is thankful that the plant is still in Ukrainian hands. The SUNPP narrowly avoided a takeover by Russian troops early in the war.
Voznesensk, a town around 20 miles (more than 46 kilometers) south of the plant, managed to thwart the Russian advance after blowing up their own bridge.
Those few days were a “very dangerous period” for the plant, Polovych said.
Meanwhile, the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine was stormed by Russian troops and is now at the center of a nuclear safety crisis as it comes under regular shelling. On Thursday, a team from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) arrived to inspect the plant.
A team of UN nuclear inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has arrived at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, in southeastern Ukraine, following delays en route and shelling in the nearby city of Enerhodar.
Meanwhile, the chairman of Russian oil and gas giant Lukoil, which spoke out against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, has died after falling out of a hospital window, according to state media.
Here are the latest headlines:
IAEA inspectors arrive at Zaporizhzhia: The IAEA mission has arrived at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant after being delayed on the Ukrainian-controlled side of the front line for about three hours. Setting off for the plant from Zaporizhzhia city earlier Thursday, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said the mission would persevere despite the “inherent risks” his monitoring team would face. Grossi plans to establish a permanent presence at the plant, where constant shelling has sparked fears of a nuclear accident.
Ukraine accuses Russia of disrupting IAEA visit: A Ukrainian presidential adviser has accused Russian forces of trying to disrupt the visit of nuclear inspectors to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant by shelling the nearby city of Enerhodar. Shelling has been ongoing in Enerhodar since Thursday morning, according to Ukrainian and Russian-installed regional officials.
What Russia is saying: Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday that Russia is doing everything so that the IAEA mission can safely carry out its work. “We are doing everything to keep this station is safe, to function safely and to ensure that the mission there carries out all its plans,” Lavrov said in a speech to Moscow university students, accusing the Ukrainians of shelling the plant.
Fifth Zaporizhzhia reactor shut down: The fifth reactor at the nuclear power plant was shut down and its emergency protection system activated on Thursday due to shelling, Ukraine’s nuclear operator Energoatom said in a statement. The plant, which was disconnected from the country’s power grid last Thursday, has six reactors, only two of which have been functioning.
Lukoil chairman dies in fall: The chairman of Russian oil and gas giant Lukoil — which spoke out against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — has died after falling out of a hospital window, state news agencies RIA Novosti and TASS reported Thursday. Ravil Maganov died at the Central Clinical Hospital west of Moscow, according to the reports.
Russia facing “severe” troop shortages: The US believes that Russia is facing “severe” shortages of military personnel in Ukraine and is seeking new ways to increase its troop levels. “We believe that the Russian Ministry of Defense (MOD) is seeking to recruit contract service members to make up for these personnel shortages, including by compelling wounded soldiers to reenter combat, acquiring personnel from private security companies, and paying bonuses to conscripts,” a US official told CNN.
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IAEA mission arrives at Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant
From CNN’s Uliana Pavlova and Sarah Dean
IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi and fellow officials try to negotiate access to Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant on September 1.
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) /REUTERS
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) mission has arrived at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Ukraine’s nuclear operator Energoatom has confirmed in a statement on Telegram.
The IAEA also confirmed the arrival on Twitter.
“IAEA’s Support and Assistance Mission to Zaporizhzhia (ISAMZ) led by Director General Rafael Grossi has just arrived at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant to conduct indispensable nuclear safety and security and safeguards activities,” the agency said in a tweet.
