Ukraine updates: Russia strikes infrastructure nationwide

The head of the UN's atomic watchdog agency said attacks on the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine were "significantly increasing the risk of nuclear accident."

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi said at a meeting of the board of governors that it was important to de-escalate hostilities around the plant.

"The most recent attacks ... have shifted us into an acutely consequential juncture in this war," Grossi said in a statement to the  gathering.

His statement comes after Russian officials at the plant said the site was attacked last weekend by Ukrainian military drones. 

It was the first the first such attack since November 2022. Kyiv said it had nothing to do with any such attacks, and any incidents were staged by Moscow.

Russia blamed Ukraine for the attack, but the IAEA didn’t attribute blame. 

Poland may supply Ukraine with Soviet-era weapons to resist Russian forces, Polish President Andrzej Duda told reporters at a news conference on Thursday. 

Duda was speaking after attending a summit of 13 EU countries, called the Three Seas Initiative, in Lithuania, where the war in Ukraine was high on the agenda.

"We talked with [Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy] about a certain stock of Soviet-era missiles which we have in our warehouses and we have talked about handing them over," Duda said.

Ukraine has been rationing ammunition as military funding from the US is held up in Congress. 

Yesterday, General Christopher Cavoli, head of the US European Command, warned US lawmakers that Russia will soon outgun Ukraine by 10 to 1 if more funding is not provided immediately. 

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said it was important EU countries "continue" backing Ukraine "with all means until victory."

Nauseda on Thursday hosted a gathering of the "Three Seas Initiative," which brings together heads of 13 EU countries located on a north-south Axis between the Baltic, Black and Adriatic Seas.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has given new impetus to the initiative, which Nauseda said "will play an important role in Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction by supporting to build back better and stronger."

"We remain determined to further increase pressure on Russia, including by strengthening sanctions and their full and effective implementation, to end its war of aggression," a joint declaration read.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksyy, who attended the summit, said that backing Ukraine meant supporting a secure Europe.

Zelenkskyy has warned that Ukraine will lose the war unless US Congress approves a new military aid package that has been stalled for months.

 

Ukraine has agreed a ten-year security deal with Latvia which will see the Baltic country provide Kyiv with military support worth 0.25% of its annual GDP.

The bilateral agreement was confirmed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on social media during a visit to Lithuania, where Ukraine is attending a Three Seas summit (see below) as a "partner participant."

"Latvia has committed itself to support Ukraine for ten years in cyber defense, mine clearance and unmanned technology," he wrote, adding that Riga would also support Kyiv's bids to join the EU and NATO.

At least two people have died and several others were injured after a Russian missile strike on the southern Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv.

"As a result of a hit in the city, according to preliminary information, two people died, four were injured," Mykolaiv Governor Vitaly Kim said in a post on Telegram. 

Ukraine's parliament passed a controversial law on Thursday that will overhaul the way the country recruits new soldiers.

Among other things, the law makes it easier for Kyiv to draft new conscripts and also prevents long-serving soldiers from being discharged from the army.

"The bill on mobilization was adopted as a whole," MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak said in a post on Telegram.

He said 283 deputies of the 450-member parliament voted in favor of the bill.

The law had been delayed for months after thousands of amendments were submitted to water down the initial draft.

Ukrainian President Volodymry Zelenskyy arrived in Lithuania on Thursday to meet with Central and Eastern European leaders at the Three Seas Summit.

Zelenskyy is scheduled to meet with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda. The two countries plan to sign a bilateral security agreement.

"The main task for now is to make every effort to strengthen our air defense system, to meet the urgent needs of the Ukrainian Defense Forces, and to consolidate international support so that we can overcome Russian terror," Zelenskyy said on social media.

Three Seas Initiative is a regional alliance set up by EU member states that situated between the Baltic, Black and Adriatic seas. Ukraine and Moldova became involved in 2022 and 2023, respectively.

Russia launched a fresh wave of attacks across Ukraine overnight, including in Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, Odesa, Kharkiv and Lviv, Ukrainian authorities said.

"Overnight, Russia fired more than 40 missiles and 40 drones at Ukraine," President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on social media.

"Some missiles and 'Shahed' drones were successfully shot down. Unfortunately, only a part of them."

There were no immediate reports of casualties.

The head of the Kyiv administration, Ruslan Kravchenko, said an air raid alert lasted for five hours in the city. 

"Tonight the area was massively attacked with kamikaze drones and missiles," he said.

The strikes completely destroyed the Trypilska power station outside Kyiv, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported.

Ukraine's Interior Minister Igor Klymenko said hundreds of rescuers had been deployed across the country after the "massive shelling."

"For several hours, the Russian military attacked five regions of Ukraine, hitting critical infrastructure," he said.

Energy company DTEK said two of its power stations were hit, while authorities in Lviv said a gas distribution facility and an electric substation had also been attacked.

Zelenskyy called on Ukraine's Western partners not to "turn a blind eye" and to provide more air defense systems.

zc, dh/wd (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)