Valentine Amanze
At least 13 individuals lost their lives in a recent missile strike on a market in Tekstilshchik, a suburb of Donetsk, a city under Russian occupation in Ukraine. The Russian-installed authorities in the region assert that the missile was launched by Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed concern over the possibility of Donald Trump returning to the White House, deeming Trump’s claim that he could end Ukraine’s war with Russia in 24 hours “very dangerous.” Zelenskyy extended an invitation to Trump to visit Kyiv, but only if he fulfills his promise to halt the war within the specified timeframe.
In an interview with the UK’s Channel 4 News, Zelenskyy voiced apprehension about potential unilateral actions by the US without considering Ukraine’s perspective, emphasizing the lack of details surrounding Trump’s proposed “peace plan.” He described Trump’s rhetoric as perilous and worried that any negotiated solution might entail significant concessions by Ukraine to Russia.
The head of the UN atomic watchdog, Rafael Grossi, raised alarms about the alleged re-planting of mines around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe’s largest, which is under Russian occupation. Mines were reportedly found in the plant’s buffer zone, inconsistent with safety standards. This comes despite previous reports of their removal by international inspectors.
Petro Kotin of Ukraine’s state nuclear company denounced the alleged mine planting as another crime by Russian forces occupying the Zaporizhzhia plant. The situation at the plant remains fragile and dangerous as long as the Russians remain there, according to Kotin.
Concerns persist regarding the potential for a radiation leak from the Zaporizhzhia plant, which is among the world’s largest nuclear power stations. The plant’s reactors have been shut down, but it requires power and qualified staff for crucial safety systems.
In other incidents, Russian forces shelled the southern Ukrainian town of Huliaipole, causing injuries, while an exploding drone hit a gas pipeline near Belgorod in southern Russia, close to the Ukrainian border. Regional Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov attributed the attack to Ukraine, with no reported injuries.
