No mines at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant – night at a glance, without photos Harry demands high compensation from the “Mirror” publisher in court

International observers at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine have so far seen no signs of the occupiers using mines. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team, permanently stationed at the nuclear plant, has not yet been allowed access to some parts of the plant, IAEA Chief Rafael Grossi said in Vienna on Friday evening. Parts of the turbine halls and the cooling system still need to be inspected, his report said.

Last week, Ukraine’s military intelligence agency SBU said Russia had mined the nuclear power plant and was preparing a terrorist attack there. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had also warned of such an attack. Moscow rejects such allegations, again claiming that Ukraine is planning an attack to cause a nuclear catastrophe.

“We take all these reports very seriously,” Grossi said of Ukraine’s accusations. The IAEA is “known” that mines were previously placed around the nuclear power plant and at certain points in the plant. Grossi did not explain what information the IAEA has on Friday.

Shortly after the outbreak of war 16 months ago, Russian forces quickly occupied large parts of southern Ukraine, including important infrastructure objects such as the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant. The situation around the nuclear power plant, which is close to the front and has come under fire on several occasions, has repeatedly led to concerns about a nuclear catastrophe.

Zelenskyj: Ukraine surprises with their strength

Meanwhile, Zelenskyy emphasized the strength of his own forces in the fight against the Russian invasion. “Ukraine and the Ukrainians are much stronger than anyone expected of us, sometimes stronger than we thought we would be,” Zelenskyy said in his video message Friday night. The country showed the strength of Ukraine in the fight against the Russian invaders around the world. In the speech, Zelensky recalled the recapture of Snake Island in the Black Sea a year ago. “It was one of our most important victories.” This not only regained control of the island, but also of a significant part of the Black Sea.

Zelenskyi again said that Ukraine is making progress with its counter-offensive. “We have made progress in all directions with our active actions.” Reinforcing artillery in the south and east is “obviously a priority,” Zelensky said. He also thanked Denmark for a new defense package, including artillery, anti-aircraft missiles and demining equipment. Ukraine has been defending itself against the Russian invasion with Western aid since February 24, 2022.

Kuleba: Ukraine joining NATO is ‘the way to peace’

Kiev is battling long-lived prejudices and misunderstandings about the consequences of its country’s entry into NATO, according to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. NATO membership will not lead to another or major war with Russia, Kuleba said in Kiev in an interview with “Bild”, “Welt” and “Politico”. On the contrary, joining NATO is “the way to peace” – because Russia would not dare attack Ukraine, which is a NATO member, again.

Ukraine will then relieve Germany and other western NATO countries in defending the eastern flank, Kuleba promised: “We will shoulder this burden.”

According to Kuleba, Ukraine does not expect to join NATO during the war. “But after the war, it would be suicidal for Europe not to accept Ukraine as a NATO member.” A Ukraine outside NATO would mean that war is still an option. The only way to close the door to Russian aggression against Europe and the Euro-Atlantic region in general is for Ukraine to join NATO, he said.

With a view to the upcoming NATO summit in Lithuania in about two weeks, he warned the German government not to obstruct his country’s path to the alliance. He called on Berlin not to repeat the mistake “Chancellor Merkel made in Bucharest in 2008 when she vehemently opposed any progress towards Ukraine’s NATO membership.” That decision opened the door to Putin’s invasion of Georgia and ultimately to the illegal annexation of Crimea.

At the 2008 summit, NATO states pledged membership to Ukraine, but then backed out out of consideration for Russia. Angela Merkel and then-President of France Nicolas Sarkozy blocked calls from other NATO partners for speedy accession.

What will be important on Saturday

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez travels to the Ukrainian capital Kyiv to take over the rotating EU Council presidency. He wanted to underline the European Union’s continued support for the country attacked by Russia. “The war in Ukraine will be one of the top priorities of our presidency,” Sanchez said after attending the EU summit in Brussels. (sda/dpa)