Chernobyl powerline hit again, claims Ukraine

Lviv, March 14

The Ukrainian state power company said the power line supplying to the site of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster has been damaged by Russian forces again.

The Ukrenergo company said on Monday that its technicians had started to supply power on Sunday evening but “before the power supply was fully restored, the occupying forces damaged it again.” Ukrenergo said it will attempt another repair. The power is used to feed pumps and other equipment which keep spent nuclear fuel at the former power plant cool to prevent radiation leaks.

The Chernobyl site is also equipped with diesel generators, and Belarusian authorities said last week that they had set up an emergency power supply from the nearby border.

The International Atomic Energy Agency has played down concerns over the safety of nuclear waste at Chernobyl, saying that cooling ponds there are large enough to keep the spent fuel in a safe condition even if the power supply is interrupted.

More than 2.8 million people have fled Ukraine in the wake of Russia’s invasion, according to the UN refugee agency, the vast majority seeking refuge in Poland which has taken in more than 1.7 million refugees in the last 19 days.

Meanwhile, German pharmaceuticals company Bayer AG says it is stopping all non-essential business in Russia and Belarus. — AP

US, China officials hold talks in rome

Washington: Top advisers to Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping met in Rome on Monday to discuss China’s support for Russia in its invasion of Ukraine, even as the Kremlin denied reports that it had requested Chinese military equipment to use in the war. The prospect of China offering Russia financial help is one of several concerns for President Joe Biden. AP

NATO meet tomorrow

Defence ministers from NATO member states will meet in Brussels on Wednesday to discuss the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Turkey’s defence ministry said on Monday.

20 killed in Ukraine missile strike: Russia

• The Russian military says that 20 civilians have been killed by a ballistic missile launched by the Ukrainian forces.
• Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj Gen Igor Konashenkov said the Soviet-made Tochka-U missile hit the central part Donetsk city.
• He said another 28 civilians, including children, were seriously wounded by the missile that carried shrapnel warhead.

Two die in attack on aircraft factory

• Ukrainian authorities said two persons were killed and seven hurt as Russian forces struck an aircraft factory, and another person was killed when a residential building was fired upon.
• A pregnant woman and her baby also died after a maternity hospital, where she was meant to give birth, was bombed.