During a meeting with students, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced, “If bases are deployed on the territory of Finland and Sweden, or rather, if a decision to create bases is made for them, I am convinced that the Americans will have the main word … Depending on how all this materializes, of course, we will make a decision to strengthen our capabilities in northwestern Russia. In any case, the line of contact with NATO will radically increase.”
Speaking on the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant (ZNPP), Lavrov expressed Russia’s expectation of an objective assessment of the situation at the site from experts sent by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). He stressed, “We expect objectivity. Although all the others who are involved in this visit in one way or another, with its preparation and attempts to make it difficult, they clearly do not want the IAEA mission to draw objective conclusions,” while adding that Russia considers all measures to ensure safety at the ZNPP and let IAEA experts do their work.
The IAEA experts mission, which is headed by Director General Rafael Grossi, arrived in Ukraine on Tuesday to inspect the power plant, which has been shelled over and over by the Ukrainian military. Last Tuesday, the Ukrainian forces launched a missile attack on Enerhodar near the ZNPP, using a minimum of 20 large-caliber artillery shells. The nuclear power plant is Europe’s largest, and an accident will have dire consequences; a nuclear disaster whose effect will live on generations, to say the least.
A referendum regarding the status of Zaparozhye and Berdiansk, both of which have been liberated by the Russian armed forces over the Ukraine war, is set to be held in September. However, the exact date will be disclosed at a later time, Berdiansk mayor Alexander Saulenko told reporters on Wednesday.
Source: Agencies (editted by Al-Manar English Website)
