KYIV－A team from the United Nations' nuclear watchdog headed to Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant on Monday, said the agency's chief.

Zaporizhzhia, Europe's largest nuclear power plant, has been a hot spot in the ongoing conflict.

"We must protect the safety and security of Ukraine's and Europe's biggest nuclear facility," Rafael Grossi, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, or IAEA, said in a post on Twitter.

An IAEA team he is leading will reach the plant on the Dnipro river near front lines in southern Ukraine later this week, said Grossi without specifying the day of their expected arrival.

The IAEA separately tweeted that the mission would assess physical damage, evaluate the conditions in which workers are working at the plant, and "determine functionality of safety & security systems". It would also "perform urgent safeguards activities", a reference to keeping track of nuclear material.

On the battlefield, Ukraine's military said early on Monday that Russian forces shelled military and civilian infrastructure in the Donetsk region. Russia has been denying targeting civilians since the special military operation started.

The conflict has touched off Europe's most devastating conflict since World War II.

The United States and its allies have imposed sweeping sanctions on Russia and sent assistance to the Ukrainian government.

Russia said sanctions will never make it change its position and Western arms supplies only drag out the conflict.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba will travel to Sweden and the Czech Republic this week and push for more sanctions on Russia, including an EU-wide visa ban for Russians.

European Union foreign ministers meeting this week are unlikely to unanimously back a visa ban on all Russians, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told Austria's ORF TV.

The idea, to be studied in a two-day meeting starting from Tuesday in Prague, has divided EU nations, with some wholeheartedly agreeing with it while others resisting.

Some EU countries neighboring Russia have already moved to bar or limit visas to Russians, but no EU-wide ban is yet in place.

In February, the EU restricted visas in certain categories for Russians linked to the Kremlin, including officials, diplomatic passport holders and company bosses. But tourist visas were still permitted.

Agencies Via Xinhua

KYIV/MOSCOW -- A Ukrainian official said on Thursday that the Zaporizhzhia region has been left without power supply, but the Russian side later said power supply to the region has been restored.

Energodar Mayor Dmytro Orlov posted a message on Telegram that Energodar, a satellite city of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (NPP) in southern Ukraine, has been left without electricity and water following a shelling carried out by Russian forces.

The Zaporizhzhia NPP has been disconnected from the power grid for the first time in history, Ukraine's state-run nuclear energy operator Energoatom confirmed on the same day.

Separately, Ivan Fedorov, mayor of the neighboring Melitopol town, said that several towns and villages in the parts of the Zaporizhzhia region controlled by Russia were also left without electricity.

Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a daily report on Thursday that Ukrainian troops continue to shell the Zaporizhzhia NPP and Energodar city. In addition, the Russian side blamed Ukraine's attack for the outage.

Yevgeny Balitsky, the Russian official in charge of the military-civilian administration of the Zaporizhzhia region, said that as a result of a strike by the Ukrainian army on power lines in the Zaporizhzhia NPP area, the security zone of the 750 kV overhead line caught fire, which was caused by a short circuit.

The relay emergency protection of the Zaporizhzhia NPP was activated and two power units were turned off, after which the Zaporizhzhia region was left without power supply, Balitsky said on Telegram.

Immediately after the fire was extinguished, one unit was put into operation. Work was underway to restore the power supply to the region and launch the second power unit, he noted, adding that at the moment, power supply to all cities and districts of the Zaporizhzhia region has been restored.

The Zaporizhzhia NPP, located on the northwestern outskirts of Energodar, is one of Europe's largest nuclear power plants. It has been controlled by Russian forces since early March, but its Ukrainian staff has continued to operate it. In recent weeks, Ukraine and Russia have traded accusations of strikes on the facility.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday met with Boris Johnson, the outgoing British prime minister, in Kyiv.

During the meeting, the two discussed the defense needs of the country, the situation around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and other issues.

UNITED NATIONS - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday warned of the dangerous situation in and around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine.

"I remain gravely concerned about the situation in and around Europe's largest nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhia. The warning lights are flashing," he told the UN Security Council.

"Any actions that might endanger the physical integrity, safety or security of the nuclear plant are simply unacceptable. Any further escalation of the situation could lead to self-destruction," Guterres said.

The security of the plant must be ensured and the plant must be re-established as purely civilian infrastructure, he said.

In her briefing to the Security Council on Tuesday, UN Undersecretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo said Zaporizhzhia continues to be operated by Ukrainian technical personnel but has been under the control of Russian military forces since early March. In early August, disturbing reports of an escalation of shelling around the plant began to emerge.

Guterres expressed the hope that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) could send a mission to Zaporizhzhia as soon as possible.

"In close contact with the IAEA, the UN Secretariat has assessed that we have in Ukraine the logistics and security capacity to support any IAEA mission to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant from Kiev, provided both Russia and Ukraine agree," he said.

Work is also ongoing to deploy the recently established UN fact-finding mission to look into the July 29 attack on a prison in Olenivka in the Donetsk region of Ukraine that reportedly killed dozens of prisoners of war, said Guterres.

This mission must be able to freely conduct its work and to find the facts. It is imperative that the mission has safe, secure and unfettered access to all relevant places and persons and to all relevant evidence without any limitation, impediment or interference, he said.

Ukraine and Russia accused each other of carrying out the fatal attack on the prison.

Guterres also briefed the Security Council on his recent visit to Ukraine.

The visit was an important opportunity to follow up on the landmark deal on the export of Ukraine grain via the Black Sea, he said. "I can report to the council that the Black Sea Grain Initiative, signed in Istanbul in July, is progressing well."

Guterres stressed the importance of unimpeded access to global markets of Russian food and fertilizers, as part of the Istanbul package deal, adding that it is critical that all governments and the private sector cooperate to effectively bring them to market.

"Getting much more food and fertilizers out of Ukraine and Russia at reasonable costs is vital to further calm commodity markets and lower prices for consumers," he said.

WASHINGTON - The United States on Wednesday announced an additional tranche of security assistance to Ukraine worth nearly 3 billion US dollars, the largest one-time weapons aid to Kiev that came as the Russia-Ukraine conflict reached the half-year mark.

According to a breakdown by the Department of Defense (DoD), items in the newly-announced package include six additional National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) with additional munitions for NASAMS, up to 245,000 rounds of 155mm artillery ammunition, up to 65,000 rounds of 120mm mortar ammunition, up to 24 counter-artillery radars, Puma Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and support equipment for Scan Eagle UAS systems, "Vampire" counter-UAS systems, as well as laser-guided rocket systems.

The DoD said in the statement that the weapons will come from contracts with arms manufacturers, with the DoD tapping congressionally approved money appropriated for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative to purchase them. This is different from the Presidential Drawdown Authority through which President Joe Biden has so far approved 19 tranches of weapons deliveries to Ukraine from the DoD's existing stocks.

The United States has committed more than 13.5 billion dollars in security assistance to Ukraine since Biden took office.

Wednesday marks both Ukraine's 31st anniversary of independence from the Soviet Union and the half-year point of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Biden said in a statement earlier in the day that the latest weapons aid, valued at 2.98 billion dollars and the largest of its kind to date, is part of Washington's commitment to support "the people of Ukraine as they continue the fight to defend their sovereignty."

A Chinese ambassador to the United Nations on Wednesday reiterated the need to safeguard global strategic stability and to be cautious against attempts to provoke trouble and intensify division and confrontation.

Obsessing over military forces and seeking absolute security will lead only to constant escalation of the regional situation, which is not in the interest of any party, Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, told a Security Council meeting on the Ukraine conflict.

"The Ukraine crisis and a series of recent tense developments around the world show that in this era that urgently needs solidarity and cooperation to collectively address challenges, we must be highly vigilant against any deliberate attempts to provoke troubles and intensify division and confrontation, and we must safeguard the global strategic stability. We should never allow the world to slide into a new Cold War," said Zhang.

The Cold War mentality and bloc confrontation must be firmly rejected, said Zhang. Security of a country should not come at the expense of that of another country, and security of a region cannot be realized by beefing up military blocs, he said.

Decoupling and choosing sides must be firmly rejected, said Zhang. He said the economies around the world are deeply integrated. Certain countries wantonly impose unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction and politicize and weaponize the economy, trade and technology; they insist on decoupling and taking a "small yard, high fence" approach. He said those actions have led to further difficulties in people's livelihoods in developing countries and threatened the global food, energy and finance security.

"Developing countries should not be made to bear the brunt of geopolitical conflicts and major country rivalry. They have the right to independently decide their foreign policies and should not be forced to choose sides," the ambassador said.

All countries should actually abide by these principles in practice and should be consistent on different issues involving different countries while matching their words with deeds, said Zhang.

"With regard to state sovereignty and territorial integrity, the Chinese people have deep understanding of and strong feelings about it through firsthand experience," he said. "China consistently respects the sovereignty and territory integrity of other countries and is determined to firmly safeguard its own sovereignty and territorial integrity."

China hopes that Russia and Ukraine will continue the dialogue and communication between them so as to return to diplomatic negotiations at an early date and create momentum needed for a cease-fire, Zhang added.

"The US and NATO should seriously reflect on the role they have been playing and focus their efforts on what truly is conducive to peace, instead of adding fuel to the fire," he said.

Zhang said there is a need to set up a safety valve for the Ukraine conflict. International humanitarian law should guide the conduct of parties to the conflict. Civilians and civilian facilities cannot be the target of military strikes.

Recently, frequent attacks on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant have led to widespread attention and concerns, casting a nuclear shadow over the world.

China once again calls on all relevant parties to exercise restraint, act with caution, refrain from any action that may compromise the safety and security of the nuclear facility and avoid crossing the nuclear safety red line, the envoy said.

"We also expect the International Atomic Energy Agency to conduct a site visit to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant as soon as possible to make a professional and technical assessment of the situation, so as to take follow-up measures to prevent a nuclear disaster," Zhang said.

"Peace can never be achieved by imposing sanctions and pressure or sending weapons. Peace must be strived for and maintained by all parties working together," he said.

There is a need to reduce the humanitarian impact as much as possible, he added.

The international community should on the one hand make efforts to help Ukrainian refugees and displaced persons tide over the difficulties, and on the other hand, reduce the impacts of the conflict on global food, energy and financial stability, Zhang said.

China is pleased to see that more than 20 ships carrying over 700,000 tons of grain have left Ukraine for multiple destinations around the world, Zhang said. That will play an important role in curbing rising food prices, stabilizing the international food market and easing the food shortages in developing countries, he said.

"We hope that the United Nations can, in accordance with its memorandum of understanding with Russia, help address the chilling effect caused by relevant countries' abuse of sanctions and ensure the stable and smooth running of the global industrial chains and supply chains," said Zhang.

Economists see outlook worsening with energy at core of bloc's woes

Six months into the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the European Union is haunted by an energy crisis, high inflation and looming recession, according to economists.

An announcement by Russian energy giant Gazprom on Monday that it would shut down the Nord Stream 1 natural gas pipeline for three days of maintenance from Aug 31 has sent gas and power prices surging to fresh records. European natural gas prices are about 15 times the average summer prices.

Following the news, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo warned that the next "five to 10 winters will be difficult" for Europe. "The development of the situation is very difficult throughout Europe," he said on Monday.

However, De Croo said Belgium can endure the crisis "if we support each other in these difficult times".

Tim McPhie, the European Commission's spokesman for climate action and energy, said on Tuesday that the EU had expected energy prices to remain high for the rest of the year and into the winters of 2024 and 2025 when prices could be stabilized due to measures that would take effect.

He ruled out that the EU would trigger a bloc-wide alert due to the three-day interruption to supply at Nord Stream 1. "But we follow the situation closely," he said.

The news of the temporary shutdown comes as EU member states struggle to fill underground storage facilities with natural gas supplies to ensure home heating in the coming winter.

The German Federal Network Agency, a regulatory office for markets including gas and electricity, said on Tuesday that companies and private consumers must expect a considerable increase in gas prices.

While cautioning that the situation is tense and a further worsening of the situation cannot be ruled out, the agency said the gas supply in Germany is currently stable.

The total storage level in Germany, the largest economy in Europe, is 80.14 percent while the Nord Stream 1 is operating at 20 percent capacity, according to the office.

German Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Action Robert Habeck, who is accompanying Chancellor Olaf Scholz on a three-day trip to Canada, said that "we still have a very critical winter ahead of us".

"We have to expect that (Vladimir) Putin will further reduce the gas," he said.

Latest data shows that inflation in the 19-member eurozone is pushing deeper into record territory, hitting 8.9 percent in July, up from 8.6 percent in June and 8.1 percent in May.

Joachim Nagel, president of the Deutsche Bundesbank, Germany's central bank, told the Rheinische Post that the surge in energy prices caused by Russia's squeeze on gas supplies was likely to drive German inflation above 10 percent this autumn and keep it elevated next year.

High inflation

"The issue of inflation will not go away in 2023," he said, adding that "supply bottlenecks and geopolitical tensions are likely to continue".

Reflecting the strains, the euro fell below parity with the US dollar at $0.9928 on Monday. It's the single currency's lowest level in nearly 20 years and below the previous two-decade low of $0.9952 set in July.

ING economists Bert Colijn and Carsten Brzeski said on Tuesday that supply shocks continue to plague the eurozone economy, causing inflation to show few signs of abating in the short run.

"Current natural gas prices make an inflation peak in double digits realistic, and there's little the European Central Bank can do about it," they wrote in an analysis on the bank's website.

Robin Brooks, chief economist at the Institute of International Finance, said in a tweet on Tuesday that "we've had a recession call for the eurozone since March" because the Russia-Ukraine conflict is a "body low to Germany" and "that's now compounded by drought and low water levels in Europe's key rivers".

The Russia-Ukraine conflict has given the world a shocking reminder of how things can change in a bad way within a short span of time.

The direct victims of the conflict are the millions of Ukrainians who have been forced to flee their homes, as well as those fighting with each other on the battlefields and their families.

The United Nations estimates that 12 million people have been forced from their homes in Ukraine, with 5 million having left the country altogether, in one of the biggest refugee crises Europe has ever seen. The large influx of refugees will have long-lasting impacts on the economy and social life of the host countries in Europe.

Moreover, the conflict has worsened the world economy that is still struggling to recover from the impacts of the almost three-year COVID-19 pandemic, with Europe, in particular, caught up in an unprecedented energy crisis as a result of US-led sanctions on Russian oil and gas.

Gas prices in Europe have already been setting records after Russia's energy giant Gazprom said it would entirely suspend the gas supply via the Nord Stream pipeline for three days for maintenance starting Aug 31. The uncertainty surrounding future supplies has driven benchmark European electricity prices to an "absurd level", more than 14 times its average in the 2010s. The approaching winter will make the energy shortage in Europe even acuter.

The conflict has also exacerbated the global food crisis. The World Food Progamme of the UN estimates that 345 million people in 82 countries are facing, or are at risk of, acute food insecurity today, compared with 135 million in 53 countries before the pandemic, as the Russia-Ukraine conflict has driven up the costs of food, fuel and fertilizers.

Meanwhile, both sides have accused the other of shelling the Russia-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, raising fears of a nuclear disaster.

And as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned "the risk of nuclear confrontation is back — something that we have forgotten for decades".

There was a chance to change the trajectory of events, but it was squandered because of the selfishness and bigotry of some politicians in Washington.

Now as the conflict drags on with no immediate end in sight, they are calling for sending more advanced weapons in larger quantities to Ukraine to "maximize their impact on the battlefield", a scenario which will only make things worse.

There will be no winners in this conflict, whatever those safely ensconced in Washington may think.

It is six months since the hostilities commenced, the two parties should sit down and seek a negotiated end to the fighting lest it become a long grindstone of attrition, or worse.

UNITED NATIONS - UN Undersecretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo on Tuesday called for the cessation of all military activities around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine.

Agreement is urgently needed to re-establish the Zaporizhzhia plant as purely civilian infrastructure and to ensure the safety of the area, she told the Security Council in a briefing.

"We must be clear that any potential damage to the plant, or any other nuclear facilities in Ukraine, leading to a possible nuclear incident would have catastrophic consequences, not only for the immediate vicinity, but for the region and beyond," she warned.

"At this moment, it is imperative that we receive the expressed commitment of the parties to stop any military activities around the plant to enable its continued safe and secure operations," she said. "To paraphrase the (UN) secretary-general's blunt warning, any potential damage to Zaporizhzhia is suicidal."

The Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant continues to be operated by Ukrainian technical personnel but has been under the control of Russian military forces since early March. In early August, disturbing reports of an escalation of shelling around the plant began to emerge, said DiCarlo.

"Regrettably, despite numerous calls and appeals, instead of de-escalation, we continue to see almost daily reports of alarming incidents involving the plant," she said. "If such incidents continue to escalate, we could face a disaster."

The United Nations continues to fully support the critical work of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and its efforts to ensure the safe operation of Zaporizhzhia and other nuclear facilities in Ukraine, said DiCarlo.

IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi on Tuesday renewed his request to send a mission to carry out essential safety, security and safeguards activities at the site. Preparations for the mission are proceeding, and the IAEA is in active consultations with all parties. The United Nations welcomes Ukraine's and Russia's recent statements indicating support for such a mission, she said.

"In close contact with the IAEA, the UN has assessed that we have the logistics and security capacity in Ukraine to support any IAEA mission to the plant from Kiev, provided Ukraine and Russia agree. We once again urge the parties to provide the IAEA mission with immediate, secure and unfettered access to the site," she said.

Amid grinding battles, car bombing near Moscow brings accusations, and denial

KYIV/MOSCOW－Nearly six months after Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine, the conflict has turned into a grinding campaign of battles with no clear endgame in sight. Amid the daily airstrikes, a car bombing, unusual for Moscow, is likely to aggravate tensions between Russia and Ukraine.

The conflict has created the largest refugee crisis in Europe since World War II. The UN refugee agency said a third of Ukrainians have fled their homes, with more than 6.6 million displaced within the country and over 6.6 million more across the continent. Both sides have sustained losses.

As Ukraine prepared to mark its Independence Day on Wednesday, officials reported more strikes on targets in the east and south of the country.

The fighting near Zaporizhzhia and a missile strike on the southern town of Voznesensk, not far from Ukraine's second-largest atomic plant, have deepened fears of a nuclear accident.

On Sunday, US President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron held a phone call stressing the importance of ensuring the safety of nuclear installations.

On Friday, the French presidency said Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed that inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency can visit the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.

In another development, the daughter of an influential Russian political theorist was killed in the car bombing on the outskirts of Moscow, authorities said on Sunday.

The Moscow branch of the Russian Investigative Committee said preliminary information indicated that 29-year-old TV commentator Darya Dugina was killed by an explosive planted in the SUV she was driving on Saturday night.

The bloodshed gave rise to suspicions that the intended target was her father, Alexander Dugin, a Russian philosopher and writer.

The explosion took place as Dugin's daughter was returning from a cultural festival she had attended with him. Russian media reports cited witnesses as saying the SUV belonged to Dugin and that he had decided at the last minute to travel in another vehicle.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin said that Dugina's killing was a "vile crime".

Ongoing investigation

Russia's top counterintelligence agency on Monday blamed Ukrainian spy agencies for organizing the killing.

Russia's Federal Security Service, or FSB said that the killing has been "prepared and perpetrated by the Ukrainian special services".

It charged that the killing was perpetrated by a Ukrainian citizen, who left Russia for Estonia after the killing. The FSB said that the suspect, Natalya Vovk, rented an apartment in the building where Dugina lived and shadowed her.

It said that Vovk and her daughter were at the festival that Dugin and his daughter attended just before the killing.

Maria Zakharova, Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, said on Sunday that if the investigation's trail led to Ukraine, then it would point to a policy of "state terrorism" being pursued by Kyiv.

Denis Pushilin, a prominent official in Donetsk, blamed the blast on "terrorists of the Ukrainian regime, trying to kill Alexander Dugin".

Ukraine has previously denied any involvement in the killing.

Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, denied Ukrainian involvement, saying: "We are not a criminal state…and definitely not a terrorist state."

Dugin is a prominent proponent of the "Russian world" concept, a spiritual and political ideology that emphasizes traditional values. His daughter expressed similar views.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry and the Chinese embassy in Ukraine on Monday reminded Chinese citizens not to go to Ukraine for now. In a statement released on the embassy's WeChat public account, it also advised Chinese already in Ukraine to strengthen security precautions and contact the Chinese embassy.

MOSCOW -- Russian President Vladimir Putin and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron held a phone conversation on Friday to discuss the situation in Ukraine, the Kremlin said in a statement.

Putin stressed that "the systematic shelling by the Ukrainian military" of the territory of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (NPP) creates the danger of a large-scale catastrophe that could lead to vast radiation contamination, the statement said.

Ukraine and Russia have recently exchanged accusations over shellings on the Zaporizhzhia NPP, which is one of the largest atomic power complexes in Europe and generates a quarter of Ukraine's total electricity.

In the phone call, Putin and Macron noted the importance of sending an IAEA mission to the Zaporizhzhia NPP as soon as possible to assess the real situation on the spot, the statement said.

The Russian side confirmed its readiness to provide IAEA inspectors with necessary assistance, it added.

Putin also briefed Macron on the implementation of the grain export deal signed in Istanbul last month, underlining that there are still obstacles to the export of Russian food and fertilizers to world markets.

KYIV - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday discussed prospects for ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict with visiting UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Ukrainian government-run Ukrinform news agency reported.

At a joint press conference after their meeting in Ukraine's western city of Lviv, Zelensky said that Kyiv is ready for peace talks with Moscow only after the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine.

For his part, Erdogan said Türkiye will provide all necessary support to resume negotiations to end the conflict.

The peace talks between Ukraine and Russia could be based on the agreements achieved in March in Istanbul, Erdogan said, adding that Türkiye is ready to be a mediator in the negotiations.

During the press conference, Guterres called for demilitarization at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine. The plant, one of the biggest nuclear power plants in Europe, has been under the control of Russian military forces since early March.

"Military equipment and personnel must be withdrawn from the plant. Further deployment of forces or weapons at the facility must be avoided," Guterres added.

The Russia-Ukraine conflict started on Feb. 24.

Ukrainian and Russian negotiators held the latest round of face-to-face peace talks in Istanbul, Türkiye, on March 29.

KYIV - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday met with visiting United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to discuss grain exports from Ukraine and the situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (NPP), the presidential press service reported.

At the meeting in Ukraine's western city of Lviv, Zelensky hailed the UN's positive role in resuming grain exports from Ukraine and stressed Kyiv's readiness to guarantee global food security.

Zelensky and Guterres agreed to continue the coordination on the grain initiative implementation and emphasized the importance of increasing the number of vessels exporting foodstuffs from Ukraine.

The parties also talked about the UN's role in ensuring security at the Zaporizhzhia NPP and stressed the need for the demilitarization of the plant.

Another topic of the discussion was the release of Ukrainian military personnel and medics taken captive during the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Guterres arrived in Ukraine on Wednesday. Later on Thursday, Zelensky and Guterres are set to hold a tripartite meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

On July 22, Ukraine signed a deal with Türkiye and the UN in Istanbul to resume food and fertilizer shipments from Ukrainian ports to international markets via the Black Sea. The same agreement was signed by Russia.

Last week, Ukraine and Russia exchanged accusations over a strike on the Zaporizhzhia plant, which is one of the largest atomic power complexes in Europe and generates a quarter of Ukraine's total electricity.

On Aug. 11, Ukraine called for an international mission under the leadership of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), involving UN experts, to visit the plant to assess the threats to nuclear safety.

KYIV -- A fleet of three vessels, together carrying 33,000 tons of corn, wheat and sunflower oil, departed from Ukraine on Wednesday, the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority said.

So far, a total of 24 ships have left Ukraine under a grain deal signed last month in Türkiye.

Also on Wednesday, five vessels entered Ukrainian ports for loading, which are expected to supply more than 70,000 tons of wheat, bran, sunflower oil and corn to international markets.

Ukraine has set a target to handle about 100 vessels per month in its Black Sea ports, which would allow exporting some 3 million tons of grain and other foodstuffs.

On July 22, Ukraine and Russia separately signed a deal with Türkiye and the United Nations in Istanbul to resume food and fertilizer shipments from Ukrainian ports to international markets via the Black Sea.

On Aug. 1, the first cargo vessel carrying grain left the Ukrainian port of Odesa for the port of Tripoli in Lebanon.

KYIV -- Ukraine set up a crisis center to deal with the possible emergency situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (NPP) in southern Ukraine, the government-run Ukrinform news agency reported on Wednesday, citing the country's Energy Minister Herman Galushchenko.

The crisis headquarters that was created on the base of Ukraine's state-run nuclear energy operator Energoatom will work round the clock to monitor the situation at the Zaporizhzhia NPP, Galushchenko told reporters.

The new government body will involve representatives of Ukrainian ministries, departments and institutions, Galushchenko said.

Last week, Ukraine and Russia exchanged accusations over a strike on the Zaporizhzhia plant, which is one of the largest atomic power complexes in Europe and generates a quarter of Ukraine's total electricity.

On Aug. 11, Ukraine called for an international mission to the plant under the leadership of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to assess the threats to nuclear safety.

MOSCOW－Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu has discussed conditions for the safe operation of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

In a phone call, Shoigu and Guterres also discussed initiatives to ease conditions for exports of Russian food products and fertilizers, the ministry said in a statement.

"In close cooperation with the agency and its leadership, we will do everything necessary for the IAEA specialists to be at the station and give a truthful assessment of the destructive actions of the Ukrainian side," said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, referring to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The plant, Europe's biggest nuclear facility, was captured by Russian troops at the beginning of March, not long after Moscow launched its "special military operation" in Ukraine.

Since the end of July, Zaporizhzhia has been the target of a number of military strikes, with both Moscow and Kyiv accusing each other of being behind the shelling.

The fighting at the plant has triggered fears of a possible nuclear catastrophe and was the subject of an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council last Thursday.

The authorities in Ukraine, where parliament on Monday extended martial law for a further three months, have said for weeks they are planning a counteroffensive to recapture Zaporizhzhia and neighboring Kherson Province.

On Tuesday, during a speech at the Moscow international security conference, Shoigu reiterated that Russia had no need to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine.

Shoigu also said that Ukrainian military operations were being planned by the United States and Britain, and that NATO had increased its troop deployment in Eastern and Central Europe "several times over".

Even as the biggest conflict in Europe since 1945 grinds on, an arrangement enabling shipments of grain from Ukraine has held up.

The ship Brave Commander has left the Ukrainian port of Pivdennyi, carrying the first cargo of humanitarian food aid bound for Africa from Ukraine since Russia's military operation began in February, Refinitiv Eikon data showed on Tuesday. The Turkish Defense Ministry said five ships left Ukrainian ports carrying corn and wheat.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday accused Washington of seeking to prolong the conflict in Ukraine.

"The situation in Ukraine shows that the US is trying to prolong this conflict. And they act in exactly the same way, fueling the potential for conflict in Asia, Africa and Latin America," Putin said in remarks as he addressed the opening of the security conference in Moscow.

Ren Qi in Moscow contributed to this story.

Agencies - China Daily

KYIV - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will meet United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan this week, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported Tuesday, citing UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

The meeting is scheduled to take place on Thursday in Ukraine's western city of Lviv. The agenda of the meeting has not been revealed.

On Friday, Guterres is due to visit a seaport in Ukraine's southern city of Odesa. On July 22, Ukraine signed a deal with Türkiye and the UN in Istanbul to resume food and fertilizer shipments from Ukrainian ports to international markets via the Black Sea.

The same agreement was signed by Russia. Since the deal came into force on Aug 1, a total of 563,317 metric tons of grain and other foodstuffs have been shipped from Ukraine to several countries as part of the Black Sea Grain Initiative. 

KYIV -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday proposed to the parliament to prolong the current martial law and general mobilization in the country for another 90 days, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported.

Two separate drafts on extending the martial law and general mobilization have been submitted to the parliament for consideration, according to the parliament's website.

The Ukrainian parliament imposed a martial law after the start of the conflict with Russia on Feb 24 and extended it three times since then.

The general mobilization of the population was introduced in Ukraine on Feb 24 and was prolonged in May for another three months.

The laws on the martial law and general mobilization in Ukraine are due to expire on Aug 23. 

A Chinese ambassador to the United Nations on Thursday reiterated his concerns over the safety and security of nuclear facilities in Ukraine, calling for efforts to minimize the possibility of the leakage of radioactive materials.

"China has been closely following the issue of the safety and security of nuclear facilities in Ukraine and is deeply concerned by the recent shelling on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant," Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the UN, said at a UN Security Council briefing on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

Zhang said that according to the information obtained by the International Atomic Energy Agency, or IAEA, from Ukraine's nuclear regulator, the shelling did not pose an immediate threat to nuclear safety.

"Nevertheless, the shelling did cause damage to the physical integrity of the plant, its safety and security system, power supply and personnel safety, which sounded a nuclear alarm to the international community," he said.

Ukraine and Russia have exchanged accusations over strikes on the plant in southern Ukraine. The facility is one of the largest atomic power complexes in Europe and generates a quarter of Ukraine's electricity. It has been under the control of Russian forces since March and has been the scene of military strikes in recent days.

Ukraine's Energoatom agency said the complex was struck five times on Thursday, including near where radioactive materials are stored. Russian-appointed officials said Ukraine shelled the plant twice, disrupting a shift changeover, Russia's TASS news agency said.

"The safety and security of nuclear sites must not be subjected to trial and error," said Zhang. If a large-scale accident were to occur at Zaporizhzhia, the consequences would be even more devastating than that of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan, according to Zhang.

The leakage of massive quantities of radioactive materials caused by the Fukushima nuclear disaster and the resulting nuclear-contaminated water have far-reaching consequences for the marine environment, food safety and human health, thereby sparking widespread concern, he said.

"China does not want to see the same risks playing out again," the envoy said.

In Thursday's meeting, Rafael Grossi, the director-general of the IAEA, called for a cessation of military activity around the plant. He referred to the situation as "a grave hour" and said that IAEA inspectors must be allowed to examine the complex "as soon as possible".

As shelling continued near the site, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday said he was "gravely concerned" that the hostilities might lead to a disaster.

Agencies contributed to this story.

The leaders of Finland and Estonia have called on European Union countries to stop issuing tourist visas to Russian citizens while the conflict in Ukraine persists.

Currently, EU airspace is closed to Russian planes, but Russia shares land borders with both countries and its second-largest city, St Petersburg, is just 300 kilometers from the Finnish capital Helsinki, so Russians can travel there and then on to other European cities.

Visas issued by Finland are valid across most of Europe's Schengen zone travel area, which comprises 22 EU member states plus Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Liechtenstein, allowing free movement of goods and people without border checks.

Finland's Prime Minister Sanna Marin told state broadcaster YLE that while the conflict continues, Russians should not be allowed to "live a normal life".

Her Estonian counterpart Kaja Kallas supported that stance with a tweet saying "visiting Europe is a privilege, not a human right".

Currently, there is still a short-stay visa agreement in place between the EU and Russia, which has been partly suspended but not abandoned altogether.

In a Washington Post interview earlier this week, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on EU countries to deny all Russian tourist access, saying they should be made to "live in their own world until they change their philosophy".

Like Estonia, Latvia borders Russia and was previously part of the Soviet Union. It has already banned almost all visas for Russians, but Marin said the Finnish cabinet was discussing whether it could act independently, and thought that an EU-wide policy would be more effective.

"Is Finnish legislation up-to-date enough that we could introduce our own national sanctions in such a very exceptional situation? But I would personally like to see European solutions to this question as well," she said.

"I would believe that in future European Council meetings, this issue will come up even more strongly. My personal position is that tourism should be restricted."

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded to the suggestions by saying: "I think that over time, common sense will somehow manifest itself, and those who made such statements will come to their senses.

"The irrationality of such reasoning goes beyond all limits and can only provoke a negative reaction…any attempt to isolate the Russians or Russia has no chance of succeeding," he added.