Report # 117. By hitting its NPP Kiev pursues ‘nuclear terrorism’ policy

August 6, 2022

1. Moscow: Ukraine risking another Chernobyl by hitting its NPP

Russia has urged the UN and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to make Ukraine stop the “shelling” of Europe’s largest nuclear power plant (NPP) in Zaporozhye. Moscow accused Ukrainian troops of firing artillery shells at the Zaporozhskaya NPP in the country’s southern Zaporozhye Region on August 4.

The plant was seized by Russian forces in late February, when Moscow launched its Special Military Operation (SMO) in the neighboring country. The facility continues to operate with Ukrainian staff under Russian control.

Igor Vishnevetsky, a senior non-proliferation and arms control official at the Russian Foreign Ministry, warned that the shelling of the plant risks triggering an event similar to the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster caused by Ukrainian operators at the plant. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, “parts of the equipment” at the plant are out of power due to the shelling, and a fire broke out at the facility and was quickly put out. The ministry claimed that “by sheer luck,” the Ukrainian shells did not cause a bigger fire and “a possible nuclear disaster.”

The ministry said that Ukrainian troops also shelled the adjacent city of Energodar, causing power outages and disruptions of water supply.

“We would like to appeal to international organizations, especially to the UN and the IAEA, as well as to the countries that have influence on the Kiev regime, so they would take action in order to make the shelling of the nuclear power plant stop immediately”, Russian diplomat said.

The ministry called on the international community to condemn Ukraine for “the acts of nuclear terrorism.”

In order to prevent the IAEA officials to visit the Zaporozhskaya NPP with inspection President Zelensky ordered to shell this NPP several times.

2. Humanitarian situation

Russian MoD continues to record numerous facts of criminal actions by Kiev regime against civilians, as well as the use of social infrastructure for military purposes by Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU):

a) in Novaya Vodolaga, Kharkov Region, AFU stronghold have equipped in the building of Lyceum No. 3 (Grigoriya Donets Street), with roadblocks and firing points set up on the approaches to the educational institution, while no local residents were evacuated from nearby residential buildings;

b) in Slavyansk, Donetsk People's Republic, Ukrainian armed formations have equipped firing positions and sniper points in the training buildings and dormitory of a technical college (Tsentralnaya Street), and neo-Nazis are holding residents of nearby houses in the premises, using them as human shields;

c) in Varvarovka, Nikolaev Region, territorial defence units are stationed at the children's music school (Odessa highway), an ammunition warehouse has been set up and the approaches to the school have been mined, but the population has not been deliberately informed of this.

In addition, in Seversk (Yamskaya Street) and Soledar (Svobody Street), Donetsk People's Republic, Ukrainian nationalists have equipped firing positions with heavy artillery and MLRS in private households, from which they systematically shell units of the Russian Armed Forces in order to provoke retaliatory fire. The Kiev authorities plan to use these cynical provocations in the near future to accuse Russian servicemen of allegedly indiscriminate strikes against civilians, followed by extensive coverage in the Ukrainian and Western media.

Such actions by criminal Ukrainian authorities demonstrate complete indifference to the fate of their own citizens and absolute disregard for all norms of morality and the principles of international humanitarian law.

3. Reconstruction in liberated areas

The Military Construction Complex of the Russian MoD continues to build and reconstruct vital facilities aimed at restoring of the infrastructure social facilities in Donbass:

A) in Donetsk People's Republic:

in Mariupol: the first phase of residential district (12 residential buildings with 1,011 flats, scheduled for completion in September-November 2022) and an administrative and rescue centre for EMERCOM (scheduled for completion in December 2022); 60-bed multi-purpose medical centre (scheduled for completion in September 2022); pathologoanatomic building with medical-forensic unit (scheduled for completion in October 2022); Saur-Mogila memorial complex (scheduled for completion in September 2022); in Volnovakha - water pipeline over 20 km long (scheduled for completion in September 2022).

B) in Lugansk People's Republic:

in Lugansk: 200-bed multi-purpose medical centre (scheduled for completion in October 2022); in Rovenki - water pipeline over 40 km long (scheduled for completion in October 2022).

4. Distribution of humanitarian aid

For a great part of Ukrainians, effectively betrayed by their own criminal authorities, Russian humanitarian aid remains the only way to survive many civilians.

More than 53,000 tons of basic necessities, food and medicines have been prepared at the collection points.

Since March 2, 2022, 51,100 tons of humanitarian cargo have already been delivered to Ukraine, 1,404 humanitarian actions have been carried out, including 3 actions in Kherson and Kharkov regions, as well as in Donetsk People's Republic, during which 141.3 tons of basic necessities, medicines and food were transferred to the civilian population of the liberated areas.

5. Implementation of the Istanbul food delivery deal by sea

The Panama-flagged ship Navistar, carrying around 33,000 tons of Ukrainian corn to Ireland, has reached Turkey’s Bosphorus Strait and dropped anchor in Istanbul, the Turkish Defense Ministry confirmed in a tweet on August 5.

The vessel is now expected to undergo an inspection by the members of the Joint Coordination Center before proceeding to its destination, the ministry said, adding that the check is due to take place within “hours.” The inspection group will include officials from Turkey, Russia, Ukraine and the UN, the Turkish media said.

The Navistar left the port of Odessa on August 4 under a deal negotiated by Ukraine and Russia and mediated by Turkey and the UNO last month. Two other ships – the Maltese-flagged Rojen and the Turkish-flagged Polarnet – left the Ukrainian port of Chernomorsk on the same day.

The Rojen is transporting about 13,000 tons of corn to Ireland, while the Polarnet will be bringing around 12,000 tons of the same commodity to the Turkish port of Karasu. Both ships have already entered Turkish territorial waters, according to some media reports, and are expected to arrive at Bosporus shortly.

The Russian Armed Forces have created conditions for the operation of two maritime humanitarian corridors, which are safe lanes for ships:

1) in the Black Sea - to leave Kherson, Nikolaev, Chernomorsk, Ochakov, Odessa and Yuzhnyi ports in a south-westerly direction from Ukraine's territorial sea, 139 miles long and 3 miles wide;

2) in the Sea of Azov, to leave Mariupol port 115 miles long and 2 miles wide towards the Black Sea.

6. Kiev has no desire to continue talks with Moscow

Ukraine is not ready for serious negotiations on the settlement, the conditions put forward by it are ridiculous. This was announced on August 5, by Dmitry Polyansky, First Deputy Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the UNO. Kiev interrupted the talks with Moscow since the end of March 2022.

“As for the peace talks, Ukraine does not show any signs of a responsible position. They have some demands that cannot be put on the table in serious negotiations. Therefore, we have not yet come to this. Ukraine only makes political statements that it is theoretically ready for negotiations with Russia. But they are ready to negotiate if Russia withdraws its troops, even from Donbass and Crimea, which is simply ridiculous. So, we don’t have a realistic partner yet, so the special military operation continues,” Polyansky clarified.

7. Kiev still violates international laws

Agnes Callamard, Amnesty International Secretary General, has defended Amnesty International’s report on violations of international law by the AFU.

Recall that human rights activists have stated, the deployment of Ukrainian troops in schools and hospitals. Callamard noted that there had been documented strikes by the Ukrainian military from residential buildings in 19 cities.

Following this, Amnesty International was criticised by many in the West, with Zelensky saying the organisation was trying to “shift the blame onto the victim”.

“The conclusions were based on evidence gathered through extensive investigations that were conducted in accordance with strict standards and procedures,” Callamard’s response was quoted by RIA Novosti.

8. Developments of the situation on the battlefields

The Ukrainian side continues to terrorize the civilian population of the DPR by launching massive artillery strikes on residential areas and civilian infrastructure facilities, which never posed any danger to the enemy and are not considered as military facilities.

Over the past 24 hours, according to the JCCC of the DPR, AFU fired 434 shells from Uragan and Grad MLRS of 155mm, 152mm and 122mm artillery, as well as 120mm mortars.

The shelling took place in the areas of eleven settlements in the DPR.

As a result of the shelling, six civilians were killed and thirty were wounded.

Thirty-eight residential houses and eleven civilian infrastructure objects were damaged.

Kiev still uses prohibited mimes against civilians. According to the JCCC, as of 08:35AM, two rockets from Ukrainian Uragan MLRS with Lepestok PFM-1 anti-personnel mines (APM), as well as 20 rockets from Grad MLRS rocket launchers were fired at the Kirovsky district of the DPR capital.

By August 6, totally 19 civilians have been injured by stepping on such highly dangerous mines. One of the them has died of heavy wounds.

International organization prefer not to criticize Kiev for using APM on a massive scale against civilians in Donbass, thus violating the Ottawa Convention that banned them. Ukraine signed and ratified this convention.

As a result of shelling by AFU, a civilian was killed in Kirovskyy district of Donetsk. A garage on Shmidta Lane was also reported to have caught fire. On Mudrova Street, a direct strike hit to a house.

From 08:00AM on 2 August to 08:00AM on 3 August – two people were killed and 25 more civilians were wounded as a result of shelling in the territory of the Donetsk People’s Republic.

On the other hand, the Russian Armed Forces continue strikes against military facilities of the Ukrainian Armed Forces using information received from intelligence and special purpose units.

A platoon of flamethrowers has been tasked with destroying Ukrainian armed forces' strongholds on the path of Russian armoured vehicles in the Special Military Operation zone. The modern Schmel-M mobile infantry flamethrower has a significant range and high power. It is designed to destroy the enemy's manpower, which is located primarily in various kinds of buildings and protective structures, to disable automobiles and lightly armoured vehicles, to destroy fortified objects, ground or semi-buried structures erected from stone, brick or concrete.

Data released on August 4:

As a result of high-precision strikes of the Russian Aerospace Forces on positions of the 92nd Mechanized Brigade near Kharkov, up to 130 servicemen and 13 armoured vehicles have been destroyed.

Temporary deployment point of units of the 95th Airborne Assault Brigade near Konstantinovka, Donetsk People's Republic, has been hit. The attacks have resulted in the elimination of up to 400 nationalists and 20 units of military equipment.

As a result of active offensive by Russian troops and DPR and LPR people's militias near Soledar, Artemovsk and Avdeevka in Donetsk People's Republic, units of 54th Mechanized, 56th and 58th Mechanized Infantry brigades of AFU, having lost their combat efficiency due to heavy losses, abandoned their positions.

Operational-tactical and army aviation, missile troops and artillery strikes continue against military facilities in Ukraine.

Two command posts, including those of the 95th Airborne Assault Brigade near Konstantinovka in Donetsk People's Republic and nationalist formations near Ternovatoye in Zaporozhye Region, as well as 194 areas of AFU manpower and military equipment concentration have been hit.

Two missile and artillery ammunition depots near Novoivanovka, Zaporozhye Region, and 1 fuel storage facility for Ukrainian military equipment near Zaporozhye-2 railway station have been destroyed.

Three platoons of Grad MLRS, 4 platoons of Gvozdika guns and 3 platoons of D-30 howitzers at firing positions near Lastochkino, Petrovskoye and Avdeevka of Donetsk People's Republic have been suppressed as part of the counter-battery warfare.

Russian air defence means have shot down 4 unmanned aerial vehicles near Andreevka, Druzhnoye in Donetsk People's Republic and Izyum and Dmitrovka in Kharkov Region.

In addition, 5 shells of multiple-launch rocket systems have been intercepted near Druzhnoye, Donetsk People's Republic, and Solnechnoye and Muzykovka, Kherson Region.

In total, 261 Ukrainian airplanes and 145 helicopters, 1,673 unmanned aerial vehicles, 361 anti-aircraft missile systems, 4,244 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 786 multiple launch rocket systems, 3,251 field artillery and mortars, as well as 4,696 units of special military vehicles were destroyed during the SMO.

Data released on August 5:

High-precision air-based missiles of the Russian Aerospace Forces have struck temporary deployment point of two howitzer artillery divisions of 44th Artillery Brigade of AFU and missile and artillery weapons depots near Novoivanovka, Zaporozhye Region.

Up to 150 servicemen, 2 American M777 howitzers and up to 1,500 rounds of ammunition, 6 Msta-B howitzers, 8 artillery mounts of various modifications, around 350 shells for Grad MLRS and seven unmanned aerial vehicles have been destroyed.

9 locals have been injured in a conflict with unit commanders of 92nd Mechanised Brigade of AFU In Kharkov Region.

The compound's command attempted to evict civilians from their homes in order to house foreign mercenaries, as well as equip military and artillery positions.

Nationalists and foreign mercenaries opened fire to suppress the protests, leaving 4 local residents in Shestakovo and 5 in Verkhnyi Saltov with gunshot wounds of varying degrees of severity.

Operational-tactical and army aviation, missile troops and artillery strikes continue against military facilities in Ukraine.

4 command posts have been hit, including those of the 58th Motorized Infantry Brigade near Artemivsk, the 54th Mechanized Brigade near Seversk in Donetsk People's Republic, a temporary nationalist formation deployment point near Vyvodovo in Dnepropetrovsk Region, as well as 182 areas of AFU personnel and military equipment concentration.

2 missile and artillery weapons and ammunition depots have been destroyed near Artemovsk in Donetsk People's Republic.

During counter-battery warfare, 3 platoons of D-30 howitzers and 1 platoon of Grad MLRS near Chuguyev, Kharkov Region, have been suppressed at firing positions near Dzerzhinsk, Novgorodskoye and Nikolaevka in Donetsk People's Republic.

Russian air defence means have shot down 5 unmanned aerial vehicles near Yasinovataya, Krasnopolye in Donetsk People's Republic, Bukino, Suligovka and Kurilovka in Kharkov Region.

In addition, 3 shells of MLRS  have been intercepted near Mineralnoye in Donetsk People's Republic and Izyum in Kharkov Region, and 3 Tochka-U ballistic missiles have been shot down near Aleshkovskyi Peski in Kherson Region.

In total, 261 Ukrainian airplanes and 145 helicopters, 1,685 unmanned aerial vehicles, 361 anti-aircraft missile systems, 4,254 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 789 multiple launch rocket systems, 3,267 field artillery and mortars, as well as 4,716 special military vehicles were destroyed during the SMO.

Written by Vladimir P. Kozin