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☆ Russia's Shoigu says Ukraine committing 'nuclear terrorism' over Zaporizhzhia
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Dec 6 (Reuters) - Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Tuesday that Ukraine was continuing to shell the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, deliberately creating the threat of a possible nuclear catastrophe. Shoigu said Russian forces were taking "all measures" to ensure the safety of the power plant, Europe's largest, in the face of what he called "nuclear terrorism" from Kyiv. "Our units are taking all measures to ensure the safety of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant," Shoigu told his military chiefs in a conference call, an abridged transcript of which was published by the defence ministry. Most had been intercepted by Russian air defences, he said, though "some still hit objects that affect the safe operation of the nuclear power plant". "We classify these attacks by Ukrainian troops as nuclear terrorism," he added.

☆ Russia promotes engineer to head of seized Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 30 (Reuters) - Russia said on Wednesday it had promoted the chief engineer of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant to become its director, after Kyiv said the plant's previous boss was abducted by Russian authorities. The nuclear power plant, Europe's biggest, has been occupied by Russian forces since March. Moscow said in October it was putting the plant under the control of Russian nuclear authorities, a move the Ukrainian government says is illegal. "The new director of Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and first deputy general director of the Zaporizhzhia power plant operating company is Yuriy Chernichuk," said Renat Karchaa, an adviser to the CEO of Russian state energy organisation Rosenergoatom, according to Russian state Rossiya 24 TV. Kyiv also accuses Moscow of hiding military equipment at the plant, which Russia denies.

☆ Vast Ukrainian nuclear plant remains under Russian control - Russia-installed authorities
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Pavel Polityuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KYIV, Nov 28 (Reuters) - The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine remains under Russian control, authorities installed by Moscow in the nearby city of Enerhodar said on Monday, after a Ukrainian official suggested Russian forces were preparing to leave. "The media are actively spreading fake news that Russia is allegedly planning to withdraw from Enerhodar and leave the (plant). The head of Ukraine's state-run nuclear energy company said on Sunday there were signs that Russian forces might be preparing to vacate the vast Zaporizhzhia plant which they seized in March, soon after invading Ukraine. The U.N. nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency), wants to create a protection zone around the nuclear power station, which is Europe's largest. Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said late on Sunday that he had no doubt that Russian forces would leave the plant, where Ukrainian staff are still operating.

☆ Ukraine nuclear boss says he sees signs Russia may leave occupied plant
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KYIV, Nov 27 (Reuters) - The head of Ukraine's state-run nuclear energy firm said on Sunday there were signs that Russian forces might be preparing to leave the vast Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant which they seized in March soon after their invasion. Repeated shelling around the plant has spurred fears of a nuclear catastrophe. "In recent weeks we are effectively receiving information that signs have appeared that they are possibly preparing to leave the (plant)," Petro Kotin, head of Energoatom, said on national television. Asked if it was too early to talk about Russian troops leaving the plant, Kotin said on television: "It's too early. On Friday, the U.N. nuclear watchdog said Ukraine's three nuclear plants on government-held territory had been reconnected to the grid, two days after a Russian missile barrage forced them to shut for the first time in 40 years.

☆ Ukraine's four nuclear power plants reconnected to grid - IAEA
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KYIV, Nov 25 (Reuters) - Ukraine's four nuclear power plants have been reconnected to the national power grid after completely losing off-site power earlier this week, the International Atomic Energy Agency said on Friday. In a statement, the IAEA nuclear watchdog said Ukraine had informed it on Friday that its Rivne, South Ukraine and Khmelnytskyy plants had been reconnected. Ukraine reconnected its vast Zaporizhzhia plant on Thursday, Kyiv said earlier. The Zaporizhzhia plant, which was seized by Russia in the early phase of its Feb. 24 invasion, was shut down in September, but still needs electricity to keep up essential safety work. Reporting by Tom Balmforth and Dan Peleschuk; editing by William MacleanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

DUBAI, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Iran has begun enriching uranium to 60% purity at its underground Fordow nuclear site, the government's nuclear chief said on Tuesday, a move that may irk Western powers pushing Tehran to roll back its nuclear work by reviving a 2015 pact. "We had said that Iran will seriously react to any resolution and political pressure ... that is why Iran has started enriching uranium to 60% purity from Monday at the Fordow site," said Mohammad Eslami, according to Iranian media. The semi-official ISNA news agency reported Iran had informed the agency in a letter about the decision to use "IR-6 advanced centrifuges to produce 60% enriched uranium" at Fordow, a site buried inside a mountain. In June, Reuters reported that Tehran was enhancing its uranium enrichment further by preparing to use IR-6 centrifuges, which can easily switch between enrichment levels, at the Fordow site. "Iran has also started the process of injecting gas into two cascades of IR-2m and IR-4 advanced centrifuges at the Natanz site," state TV reported.

☆ Iran to enrich uranium to 60% purity at Fordow nuclear site - TV
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DUBAI, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Iran has started enriching uranium to 60% purity at its underground Fordow nuclear site, according to state media on Tuesday, which described the action as a response to the U.N. nuclear watchdog's demand for more cooperation from Tehran. "In a letter to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Iran has informed the agency that it has started enriching uranium to 60% purity at Fordow site," the semi-official ISNA news agency reported, adding that it was a "strong response" to the agency's latest resolution. Iran's SNN network said Tehran will also be building a new set of centrifuges at its Natanz and Fordow nuclear sites. In June, Reuters reported that Tehran was escalating its uranium enrichment further by preparing to use advanced IR-6 centrifuges at the Fordow site, which can easily switch between enrichment levels. The IAEA resolution is the second this year targeting Iran over the investigation, which has become an obstacle to talks on reviving the 2015 Iran nuclear deal because Iran has demanded the probe be ended.

☆ Russia, blaming Ukraine, says Zaporizhzhia plant at risk of nuclear accident
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Guy Faulconbridge | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] A view shows the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in the course of Ukraine-Russia conflict outside the Russian-controlled city of Enerhodar in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine August 30, 2022. REUTERS/Alexander ErmochenkoSummary Rosatom warns of nuclear accidentKremlin concerned by shellingIAEA calls it a 'close call'Moscow blames Ukraine, Kyiv blames RussiaLONDON, Nov 21 (Reuters) - Russia said on Monday that shelling of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant risked unleashing a grave nuclear accident and repeated accusations, denied by Kyiv, that Ukrainian forces were to blame. The Kremlin called on "all countries of the world" to pressure Kyiv into ceasing the attacks, for which Ukraine says Russia is responsible. "The plant is at risk of a nuclear accident," Alexei Likhachev, the director general of Russia's Rosatom state nuclear corporation, was quoted as saying by Interfax. The power plant, which is under Russian control, was rocked by heavy shelling on Saturday and Sunday, drawing condemnation from the U.N. nuclear watchdog which said such attacks risked a major disaster.

☆ Explainer: Ukrainian nuclear plant shelled: Here's what we know
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Guy Faulconbridge | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The biggest risk is from overheating nuclear fuel, which could happen if the power that drives the cooling systems was cut. Besides the reactors, there is also a dry spent fuel storage facility at the site for used nuclear fuel assemblies, and spent fuel pools at each reactor site that are used to cool down the used nuclear fuel. "Whoever is shelling at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant, is taking huge risks and gambling with many people's lives," Grossi said. "The regime in Kyiv does not cease provocations aimed at creating a threat of a disaster at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant," the Russian defence ministry said. "The nature of the damaged equipment at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant shows that the attackers aimed at, and disabled, precisely the infrastructure that was necessary for the start-up of reactors 5 and 6," Energoatom said.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said more than a dozen blasts shook the nuclear plant late on Saturday and on Sunday. The team plans to conduct an assessment on Monday, Grossi said, but Russian nuclear power operator Rosenergoatom said there would be curbs on what the team could inspect. EAST UNDER RUSSIAN FIREIn eastern Ukraine, Russian forces battered Ukrainian front-line positions with artillery fire, with the heaviest attacks in the Donetsk region, Zelenskiy said in a video address. "The fiercest battles, as before, are in the Donetsk region. Although there were fewer attacks today due to worsening weather, the amount of Russian shelling unfortunately remains extremely high," Zelenskiy said.

☆ Ukraine urges limiting electricity use and readies voluntary Kherson evacuation
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Pavel Polityuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/5] A woman walks past a statue in the central sqaure after Russia's military retreat from Kherson, Ukraine November 21, 2022. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said that half of the country's power capacity had been knocked out by Russian rockets. Ukraine narrowly escaped disaster during fighting at the weekend that rocked the plant, Europe's largest, with a barrage of shells. The head of Russia's state-run nuclear energy agency, Rosatom, said it had discussed Sunday's shelling with the IAEA, and said there was a risk of a nuclear accident. Ukraine's nuclear energy firm Energoatom said Russia's military shelled the site, accusing it of nuclear blackmail and actions that were "endangering the whole world".

☆ Explainer: 'Close call' at Ukrainian nuclear plant
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Guy Faulconbridge | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, Nov 21 (Reuters) - Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which is under Russian control, was rocked by shelling on Sunday, drawing condemnation from the U.N. nuclear watchdog which said such attacks risked a major disaster. Besides the reactors, there is also a dry spent fuel storage facility at the site for used nuclear fuel assemblies, and spent fuel pools at each reactor site that are used to cool down the used nuclear fuel. "Whoever is shelling at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant, is taking huge risks and gambling with many people's lives," Grossi said. "The regime in Kyiv does not cease provocations aimed at creating a threat of a disaster at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant," the Russian defence ministry said. "The nature of the damaged equipment at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant shows that the attackers aimed at, and disabled, precisely the infrastructure that was necessary for the start-up of reactors 5 and 6," Energoatom said.

☆ 'Close call' in shelling near nuclear reactor on Ukraine's frontline
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Pavel Polityuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

While there was no direct impact on nuclear safety and security systems, "the shelling came dangerously close", Grossi said. A view shows Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant from the town of Nikopol, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Dnipropetrovsk region, Ukraine November 7, 2022. The Zaporizhzhia plant itself and territory south of it fell to Russia in March. The Zaporizhzhia plant provided about a fifth of Ukraine's electricity before Russia's invasion, and has been forced to operate on back-up generators a number of times. Although there were fewer attacks today due to worsening weather, the amount of Russian shelling unfortunately remains extremely high," Zelenskiy said.

SummarySummary Companies IAEA says Ukraine plant rocked by 12 blastsPlant is controlled by Russian forcesRussia says Ukraine shelled the plant'You're playing with fire!' - IAEA chiefLONDON, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which is under Russian control, was rocked by shelling on Sunday, drawing condemnation from the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog who said such attacks risked a major nuclear disaster. An IAEA team on the ground said there had been damage to some buildings, systems and equipment at the plant, Europe's largest nuclear power station. "Explosions occurred at the site of this major nuclear power plant, which is completely unacceptable. The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has six Soviet-designed VVER-1000 V-320 water-cooled and water-moderated reactors containing Uranium 235, which has a half-life of more than 700 million years.

☆ Ukraine nuclear power station shelled, UN nuclear watchdog says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

This photo taken on Sept. 11, 2022, shows a security person standing in front of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Enerhodar, Zaporizhzhia, amid the Ukraine war. Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which is under Russian control, was rocked by shelling on Sunday, drawing condemnation from the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog who said such attacks risked a major nuclear disaster. An IAEA team on the ground said there had been damage to some buildings, systems and equipment at the plant, Europe's largest nuclear power station. "Explosions occurred at the site of this major nuclear power plant, which is completely unacceptable. The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has six Soviet-designed VVER-1000 V-320 water-cooled and water-moderated reactors containing Uranium 235, which has a half-life of more than 700 million years.

☆ Exclusive: U.S., EU powers push IAEA board to order Iran to cooperate urgently
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Francois Murphy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The draft resolution was sent to other countries on the 35-nation International Atomic Energy Agency Board of Governors on Friday ahead of a quarterly meeting that starts on Wednesday. It also comes the day after the IAEA issued a report, also seen by Reuters, on the years-long investigation into the traces. Iran has agreed to hold a meeting with IAEA officials in Tehran after next week's board meeting to make progress in the stalled inquiry. The draft resolution referred to Thursday's IAEA report, which said IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi was "seriously concerned that there has still been no progress". The board passed a similar resolution in June, when only China and Russia opposed it.

☆ Iran sets up meeting on U.N. nuclear inquiry as diplomatic clash looms
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Francois Murphy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] The Iranian flag waves in front of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) headquarters, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Vienna, Austria, March 1, 2021. The IAEA has said it will not yield to political pressure and its job is to account for all nuclear material. The E3 and the United States will hold talks in Paris on Monday to discuss Iran ahead of the board meeting, two diplomats said. Iran has recently installed hundreds more advanced centrifuges, machines that enrich uranium, at its underground plants at Natanz and Fordow. Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons, saying its nuclear technology is solely for civil purposes.

☆ Iran offers nothing new in latest meeting, UN nuclear watchdog says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi attends the opening of the IAEA General Conference at their headquarters in Vienna, Austria, September 26, 2022. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger/File PhotoSHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt, Nov 9 (Reuters) - The head of the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog on Wednesday said Iran did not offer anything new during a recent meeting in Vienna about its nuclear program, but added that talks would continue in the coming weeks. “So, they didn't bring anything new,” IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi told Reuters on the sidelines of the COP27 climate conference in Egypt. That pact had restrained Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for relief from U.S., EU and U.N. economic sanctions, but former U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from it in 2018, claiming Iran was in violation. Indirect talks between Tehran and U.S. President Joe Biden's administration on reviving the largely hollowed-out deal are stalled.

☆ Russia's war on Ukraine latest news: Zelenskiy warns of more attacks on energy infrastructure
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Nov 7 (Reuters) - Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy warned against more potential Russian attacks on energy infrastructure, while the mayor of Kyiv urged residents to consider preparing to leave temporarily if the capital lost water and power supplies. * Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy spoke with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Sunday to discuss macro-financial aid for Ukraine and further sanctions on Iran, Zelenskiy said. * Iran acknowledged for the first time that it had supplied drones to Moscow, but said they were sent before the war in Ukraine, where Russia has used them to target power stations and civilian infrastructure. FIGHTING, CONFLICTRussia is suffering heavy losses in "fierce" attacks in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region and is preparing new assaults on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, Zelenskiy said in nightly video remarks on Sunday. * External power has been restored to Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant two days after it was disconnected from the power grid following damage to high-voltage lines from Russian shelling, the United Nations nuclear watchdog said.

☆ External power restored to Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, IAEA says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

VIENNA, Nov 5 (Reuters) - External power has been restored to Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant two days after it was disconnected from the power grid after Russian shelling damaged high voltage lines, the U.N. nuclear watchdog said on Saturday. Both the plant's external power lines were repaired and reconnection started on Friday afternoon, Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said in a statement. Grossi reiterated his call for the establishment of a nuclear safety and security protection zone around the plant to prevent a nuclear accident, adding: "We can't afford to lose any more time. We must act before it is too late." Writing by Paul Carrel; Editing by Andrew HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ IAEA says no sign of 'dirty bomb' work at sites inspected in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

VIENNA, Nov 3 (Reuters) - The U.N. nuclear watchdog said on Thursday it had found no sign of undeclared nuclear activity at three sites in Ukraine that it inspected at Kyiv's request in response to Russian allegations that work was being done on a "dirty bomb". Some Ukrainian and Western officials have accused Moscow of making the allegation to give itself cover to detonate its own dirty bomb and pin the blame on Kyiv. The International Atomic Energy Agency said last month it would inspect two locations in Ukraine following a request by Kyiv. The IAEA named the locations as the Institute for Nuclear Research in Kyiv, Eastern Mining and Processing Plant in Zhovti Kody, and Production Association Pivdennyi Machine-Building Plant in Dnipro. Inspectors also took environmental samples that will be sent off for lab analysis and the IAEA will report back on the results, the statement added.

Seoul, South Korea CNN —The South Korean military said Wednesday North Korea launched the highest number of short-range missiles in a day as Seoul retaliated to Pyongyang’s latest barrage of weapons tests, further escalating tensions in the region. JCS said the South Korean Air Force targeted international waters north of the NLL at an equal distance to that which the North Korean missile had earlier landed south of the line. North Korea is “fully responsible” for the situation as they are the ones continuing to provoke despite warnings, JCS added. South Korea responded to North Korea's barrage of missiles on Wednesday by firing three air-to-surface missiles from F-15K and KF-16 fighter jets. Correction: This story has been updated to clarify that this is not the first time North and South Korea have fired missiles off their respective coasts, and to reflect that North Korea fired a number of missiles of various types and the distance in kilometers from the NLL.

☆ Iran is an ever more 'relevant' problem, nuclear watchdog chief says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

VIENNA, Oct 28 (Reuters) - Iran is a problem that is ever more "relevant", the U.N. nuclear watchdog's chief, Rafael Grossi, said on Friday, in an apparent reference to the growing number of advanced centrifuges the Islamic Republic is using to enrich uranium. Asked in an on-stage discussion in Washington how he sees the world today, Grossi started with Iran rather than Ukraine and said it "continues to be a problem". "I see every day through my inspectors how this problem is getting more and more relevant, and I'm choosing a word which is neutral. It's an even more relevant problem every day," Grossi told the Carnegie International Nuclear Policy Conference, without elaborating. He added later that he would not cave to political pressure over his investigation of the uranium traces and his efforts to obtain explanations from Iran on how they came to be there.

SEOUL, Oct 28 (Reuters) - North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) off its east coast on Friday, South Korea's military said, while wrapping up nearly two weeks of major drills aimed at deterring its neighbour. The launch, at a time of growing fears that North Korea is readying for its first nuclear test since 2017, was the latest in a record year of tests, whether of short-range missiles, intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), or others. The launches did not pose an immediate threat to the United States or its allies, the U.S. military's Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement. South Korea and the United States say the exercises are defensive and needed to counter the North's threats. North Korea held six nuclear tests there from 2006 to 2017.

☆ Russia raises accusation at U.N. of Ukraine 'dirty bomb' plans
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

UNITED NATIONS, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Russia on Tuesday took its accusation that Ukraine was preparing to use a dirty bomb - an explosive device laced with radioactive material - to the United Nations Security Council, voicing its concerns during a closed-door meeting of the 15-member body. Russia has alleged that Kyiv has ordered two organizations to create a dirty bomb, without giving any evidence. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has responded by accusing Russia of planning such an attack itself to blame on Ukraine. 'WASTING OUR TIME'The Security Council discussion on Tuesday was the first of three likely meetings requested by Russia this week. The move comes after Ukraine and Western allies accused Russia of using Iranian-made drones in Ukraine in violation of the resolution and asked Guterres to investigate.

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