Ukraine says it is targeting Russians shooting at, or from nuclear plant
Ukraine is targeting Russian soldiers who shoot at an occupied nuclear plant in the south of the country or use it as a base to shoot from, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday.
Ukraine and Russia have traded accusations over multiple recent incidents of shelling at the Zaporizhzhia facility, Europe's largest nuclear power plant. Russian troops captured the station early in the war.
"Every Russian soldier who either shoots at the plant, or shoots using the plant as cover, must understand that he becomes a special target for our intelligence agents, for our special services, for our army," Zelenskiy said in an evening video address.
Zelenskiy, who did not give any details, repeated accusations that Russia was using the plant as nuclear blackmail.
“And absolutely all officials of the terrorist state, as well as those who help them in this blackmail operation with the nuclear power plant, must answer in an international court,” he said.
Zelenskiy also gave an update on Ukraine’s efforts on the frontline, describing the fighting in Donbas as “brutal”.
“Fighting in the south of the country brings good news about the destruction of Russian army forces and their means. No day is wasted - we are reducing the occupiers' potential,” he added.
Two more ships carrying grain left from Ukraine's Black Sea ports on Saturday, Turkey's defence ministry said, bringing the total number of vessels to depart the country under a U.N.-brokered deal to 16.
Zelenskiy said that in less than two weeks, Ukraine had managed to export the same amount of grain from three ports as it had done by road for the whole of July.
“The first ship for loading under the UN World Food Programme has already arrived - it delivers grain, in particular for Ethiopia, where the situation with hunger is especially brutal,” he said, as the ship prepares to depart from Pivdennyi port.
“For Ukraine, this has a notable benefit,” Zelenskiy added.