Thursday, March 28

Ukraine Latest: Kyiv Calls for Sanctions Over Nuclear Plant


Ukrainian officials called for international sanctions against Russia and its nuclear entities after President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday ordered his government to formally take ownership of the Zaporizhzhia atomic power plant, located in a region Russia annexed after an illegal referendum.

Article content

(Bloomberg) — Ukrainian officials called for international sanctions against Russia and its nuclear entities after President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday ordered his government to formally take ownership of the Zaporizhzhia atomic power plant, located in a region Russia annexed after an illegal referendum. 

Advertisement 2

Article content

The European Union approved a fresh package of sanctions against Russia that includes a price cap on oil sales, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said his forces were advancing in the south.

Article content

Russia’s top energy official, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, said a price cap on its exports would backfire and might lead to a temporary cut in production. Speaking in an interview after an OPEC+ meeting in Vienna, Novak reinforced the Kremlin’s warning that his country won ‘t sell oil to any countries that adopt the cap.

(See RSAN on the Bloomberg Terminal for the Russian Sanctions Dashboard.)

Key Developments

  • Oil Price Cap Plan Spurs Fear It Could Trigger Russia Output Cut
  • EU Backs Russia Sanctions Package Including Oil Price Cap
  • Ukraine Retakes More of South as Putin Signs Off on Annexation
  • Gazprom Resumes Flows to Italy via Austria as Spat Resolved
  • Ukraine War Shows New Risk to Nuclear Power’s Next Small Thing
  • Poland Says It Has Approached US About Sharing Nuclear Weapons

Advertisement 3

Article content

On the Ground

Russian troops killed at least two people after firing seven missiles at the city of Zaporizhzhia, the region’s governor said. Ukraine’s forces have advanced in the eastern Kharkiv region, and also liberated several small towns in Luhansk, a region still mostly controlled by Russia, said Governor Serhiy Haiday. Ukraine’s General Staff said Moscow’s troops continue efforts to disrupt Kyiv’s counteroffensive, while continuing attempts to conduct offensive actions in the Bakhmut and Avdiivka directions. Ukraine’s northern Kharkiv counteroffensive is now advancing into western Luhansk, the Institute for the Study of War said . It also notes that Ukraine’s ongoing northern and southern counteroffensives are likely forcing the Kremlin to prioritize the defense of one area of ​​operations at the expense of another, potentially increasing the likelihood of Ukrainian success in both. The UK defence ministry offered a similar assessment.

Advertisement 4

Article content

(All times CET)

Zelenskiy Urges American States to Condemn Russia (8:44 am)

Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in a video address, called on the Organization of American States to offer united support of Ukraine and condemnation of Russian policy.

“The greater the support for those who fight for freedom and independence, the stronger freedom will be in general in the world and the faster we will go all the way to freeing our land from the Russian invaders,” Ukraine’s president said.

The OAS, historically representing mainly Latin American countries, recently suspended Russia’s observer status.

Austria Adds $5.3 Billion to Defense Budget (8:38 am)

Austria will raise its military budget to 1.5% of economic output by 2027 to bolster its defense in the wake of Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Advertisement 5

Article content

One of the last militarily neutral countries in the EU will increase spending on soldiers next year by about a fifth, to 1% of GDP, Chancellor Karl Nehammer said. It will add 5.3 billion euros ($5.25 billion) of spending in the next four years , raising the total to more than 16 billion euros.

Ukraine’s Energy Minister Joins Calls for Sanctions on Rosatom (7:56 am)

Herman Halushchenko joined his foreign ministry colleagues in urging sanctions against Rosatom and Russia’s nuclear industry for Moscow’s attempts to “legally consolidate” its occupation of the Zaporizhzhia atomic power plant.

The actions of Russia, and in particular the decree of Putin on a separate legal entity for the operation of the facility, are a gross violation of international law and the basic principles of nuclear safety, protection and guarantees, Halushchenko said in a statement.

Advertisement 6

Article content

“Trying to take control over Zaporizhzhia NPP, Russia is stealing nuclear and radioactive materials located on the territory of the power plant,” Halushchenko said.

Depleted Russian Forces Face a Dilemma, UK Says (7:30 am)

Moscow’s troops face new problems as Ukrainian units advance in the south, pushing the front line there forward “by up to an additional 20 kilometers (12 miles),” the UK defense ministry said.

“Russia faces a dilemma: withdrawal of combat forces across the Dnipro makes defense of the rest of Kherson oblast more tenable; but the political imperative will be to remain and defend,” the UK said.

Since the Kremlin has committed most of its “severely undermanned airborne forces” to the defence of Kherson, it’s likely to fill gaps in Donbas with recently-mobilized reservists, the UK said.

Advertisement 7

Article content

Ukraine Demands Sanctions Against Rosatom Over Plant Seizure (8:21 pm)

The Ukrainian foreign ministry has urged the European Union, G7 countries and other partners to consider immediate sanctions against Russian nuclear company Rosatom, affiliated companies and institutions, and against key Russian officials in the nuclear sector, according to a statement from the ministry.

Ukraine sees Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decree to formalize the control of Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant as “a crime which further increases risks and threats in the nuclear security caused by Russian occupation of the power plant.”

Presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak, in a tweet, called the decree an attempted raider’s attack. Podolyak urged sanctions and an end to any cooperation with Russia in the nuclear sector.

Advertisement 8

Article content

US Believes Ukrainians Behind Russian Assassination: NYT (7:45 pm)

US officials believe parts of the Ukrainian government authorized the August attack in Moscow that killed the daughter of a prominent Russian nationalist and fear such moves could expand the war, the New York Times reported Wednesday.

The US did not take part in, or have advance warning of, the car bombing and have since rebuked Ukraine over it, officials told the paper. Ukraine denied responsibility at the time.

There has not been specific retaliation for the assassination of Darya Dugina, whose far-right political theorist father, Alexander Dugin, is believed to have been the actual target. But the US is concerned such moves could provoke Russia to target Ukrainian officials.

Advertisement 9

Article content

Putin Orders Russia to Take Formal Control of Occupied Nuclear Plant (5:14 pm)

President Vladimir Putin ordered his government to formally take ownership of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant from Ukraine after Russia laid claim to the territory where the facility is located.

Russian troops have controlled the area where the plant is located since March and Putin signed laws formally annexing the territory on Wednesday. The United Nations, as well as many countries, have denounced the annexation as illegal.

The head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, said he was traveling to Kyiv for talks on nuclear safety as the organization calls for a security zone around the Zaporizhzhia plant. The measure is “now more urgent than ever,” IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said in a Tweet.

On Telegram, Ukrainian nuclear energy operator Energoatom dismissed the Russian decree as legally void, “absurd” and “not adequate.”

Advertisement

Comments

Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. We ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. We have enabled email notifications—you will now receive an email if you receive a reply to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings.



financialpost.com