Zelenskyi reacts to Iran’s major attack on Israel. Ukraine’s General Staff warns of another Russian false flag operation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Satellite images show the aftermath of Ukraine’s air strike on Russian military facilities in Luhansk.
Zelenskyi reacts to Iran’s major attack on Israel
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi condemned Iran’s Saturday drone and missile attack on Israel and drew a parallel between Tehran’s tactics in Israel and those employed by Russia against Ukraine.
Writing on the social media platform X, Zelenskyi said: “Ukraine condemns Iran’s attack on Israel using ‘Shahed’ drones and missiles. We in Ukraine know very well the horror of similar attacks by Russia, which uses the same ‘Shahed’ drones and Russian missiles, the same tactics of mass air strikes.”
Iran’s actions pose a regional and global threat, much like those of Russia, he emphasized.
“Every effort must be made to prevent a further escalation in the Middle East. Iran’s actions threaten the entire region and the world, just as Russia’s actions threaten a larger conflict, and the obvious collaboration between the two regimes in spreading terror must face a resolute and united response from the world.”
“The sound of ‘Shahed’ drones, a tool of terror, is the same in the skies over the Middle East and Europe. This sound must serve as a wake-up call to the free world, demonstrating that only our unity and resoluteness can save lives and prevent the spread of terror worldwide,” he said.
Zelenskyi also called for resolute action, saying that discussions are not enough.
“The world cannot wait for discussions to go on. Words do not stop drones and do not intercept missiles. Only tangible assistance does. The assistance we are anticipating. We must strengthen security and resolutely counter all those who want to make terror a new normal,” he said.
Ukraine’s General Staff warns of Russian false flag operation at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant
Russian forces are preparing to carry out “another provocation” — a false-flag operation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said on Sunday, citing intelligence data.
“Russia is the only terrorist in the world that holds a nuclear power plant hostage and uses it to blackmail Ukraine and the entire world. No one else except Russian terrorists has consciously put the world on the brink of a nuclear disaster,” Ukraine’s General Staff said in a statement.
In the past weeks alone, Russia has several times tried to shift onto Ukraine the responsibility for the use of drones to attack the facilities at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Russia consciously continues to blackmail Ukraine and the international community with a risk of a nuclear disaster at the Zaporizhzhia plant, the statement reads.
“Ukraine has always handled the safety of nuclear facilities responsibly. It’s only when Ukraine regains control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant that the station’s safety can be restored. As long as Russian terrorists are deployed to the plant, keep their weapons and conduct their operations there, it is not possible to guarantee the plant’s safety,” the General Staff said.
Satellite images show aftermath of Ukraine’s air strike on Russian military facilities in Luhansk
Ukraine’s defense forces struck the control post of the Russian “Center” military grouping of troops in occupied Luhansk on Saturday, Ukraine’s Air Force said the next day.
Reports and footage of explosions in Russian-held Luhansk surfaced on social media on April 13. RFE/RL’s Donbas.Realii project said the strike hit the Luhansk machine building plant where Russian forces repaired military vehicles and housed troops.
Satellite images dated April 14 provided by Planet Labs show significant damage to at least one building of the plant.
The impossibility of negotiations between Zelensky and Putin. Ukraine in Flames #598
Negotiations with the Russian Federation are possible only when Russian troops are withdrawn from the territory of Ukraine. Today, Ukraine’s position with international partners has been agreed at the political level. Everyone says that this war should end with the restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity. The peace formula is known: the aggressor withdraws troops and the territorial integrity of Ukraine is restored. The question is how to achieve this and how to implement this formula. Watch Ukraine in flames #598 to find out more about why negotiations between Zelenskyi and Putin are impossible, as well as how all parties are currently working to strengthen their future negotiating positions.
Guests:
- Valeriy Chaly, UCMC Chair of the Board, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine
- Vitaly Portnikov, Publicist, Journalist, Analyst
