War in Ukraine: Day 169
By Rishma Banerjee
 
War on the Ground
On 11 August, in a conference with the Northern European defence ministers, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant shelling, where Russia was found to be increasing the risk of a nuclear disaster. He alleged Russia for not taking responsibility for the attacks. Zelenskyy said that in all the years of operation of the plant, it was the first time, people’s lives were endangered and if the attacks further, it might lead to using of tactical nuclear weapons.

Zaporizhzhya’s regional military administration governor Oleksandr Starukh, said that Russia’s provocations and its continued shelling has destroyed the power grid of the plant, increasing the risk of fires and emergency situations. Thus, creating the need for the readiness of fire units, medical personnel, national police and the evacuation plan. He said: “We must be prepared for any situation, even the worst one. In this case, exercising excessive vigilance is better than allowing risks due to negligence.”

On the same day, the head of Luhansk, Serhii Haidai said that since the capture of Lysychansk by Russia, Ukraine army has not forwarded in the Donetsk region. Haidai mentioned that Russia had tried to penetrate Ukraine’s defences but the progress was minimal. On 11 August, When Russia tried to storm into eight settlements on the borders of Donetsk and Luhansk, was repelled successfully by the Ukraine’s army.

On 11 August, satellite images taken by Planet Labs on 10 August of the Saky airbase in Crimea was released. The images show the charred remains of around nine to 11 Russian warplanes and large areas of scorched earth. While Ukraine has refused to formally accept responsibility for the attack nearly 110 km away from the frontline, the defence ministry tweeted a cryptic message warning tourists ‌it was not safe to travel to Crimea. A presidential advisor to Ukraine said that the blasts were either caused by Ukrainian-made long-range weapons or by guerrillas operating in Crimea.

On August 10, the major general of Ukraine’s armed forces, Dmytro Marchenko said that Ukraine’s troops will be able to liberate Kherson by 2022. He said that Ukraine was launching strikes on the Kakhovka bridge in the occupied Kherson region to hamper the transfer of Russia’s military equipment. Marchenko also claimed that once Kherson is freed, the active phase of the war will end, with continuation of local military clashes.

The Moscow View
Claims by Russia
On 11 August, following another shelling at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, Russia’s foreign ministry blamed Ukraine and said that it was an “act of terrorism” which could instigate a disaster worse than the 1989 Chernobyl incident. The foreign ministry deputy spokesperson, Ivan Nechaev said that if a nuclear disaster occurs due to Ukraine’s actions, radiation will not only hit Ukraine and Russia but also harm the neighbouring countries, risking million lives. He said that Russia was looking forward to a mission by the International Atomic Energy Agency, which has been seeking access to the plant. 

Ivan Nachayev on the Russia’s issue with Switzerland’s neutral status, said that since Switzerland had implemented several anti-Russia sanctions, it cannot be considered as neutral. This follows a request by Switzerland to represent Ukraine in Russia and vice versa to facilitate a negotiation between the two.

The first deputy chairman of the State Duma committee on international affairs, Alexey Chepa responded to Latvia recognizing Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism. He said this accusation along with suspension the cross-border deal with Russia, denying entry to Russians with Schengen visas and not issuing visas for travel and should make Russia reconsider ending all relations with the country. Moreover, he said, “It is necessary to take maximum economic steps that should put significant pressure on this country.”

The West View
Responses from the US and Europe 
Denmark’s defence minister, Morten Bodskov reaffirmed his commitment to support Ukraine at a Copenhagen conference attended by 26 countries. He said that the group will pledge EUR 1.5 billion to Ukraine’s armed forces. Bodskov specified that the money will be used to supply weapons, missiles and ammunition, train Ukrainian soldiers, and also de-mine war-torn areas in Ukraine. The UK announced that an additional EUR 300 million including multiple-launch rocket systems (MLRS) and precision guided M31A1 missiles will be given to Ukraine.

On 11 August, Turkey’s defence ministry reported that there was a delay in the departure of a ship scheduled to leave from Ukraine's Chornomorsk port. According to the ministry, the bad weather conditions was the reason for the delay. So far, 12 ships have been successful is departing from Ukraine with grains, under the UN-brokered deal between Ukraine and Russia, mediated by Turkey. 

On the same day, Sweden extradited the first person demanded by Turkey as a part of the negotiations for the approval of Sweden and Finland’s NATO membership. The person in question is a Turkish citizen who had sought asylum in Sweden in 2011 and then protection status in 2022. However, Sweden’s migration agency had rejected both applications and instead detained him. The 30 year old had been convicted in Turkey for bank fraud related offences in 2013 and 2016, and faces a sentence of 14 years in prison. However, he denied the charges saying that he was framed from converting from Islam to Christianity, having Kurdish roots and also for refusing the compulsory military service. 

In Bulgaria, hundreds of protestors gathered in front of the presidential building in Sofia to demonstrate the fear that the interim caretaker government in Bulgaria might revert back to their bonhomie with Russia. The protestors demanded more transparency from the government as many are concerned that due to its anti-West positioning Bulgaria might approach Gazprom for gas supplies, disregarding the EU sanctions.

On the same day, Germany’s chancellor Olaf Scholz said that Germany is set to face severe challenges in the upcoming winter months. In an conference, Olaf highlighted the measures already adopted by the government for the smooth procurement of energy supplies, to secure alternative sources of supply and to ease the financial hardship of the citizens. Scholz said: “Citizens can count on us not to abandon them.” he expressed his regression towards Germany’s dependency over Russian oil.

On 10 August, EU implemented the ban on Russia’s coal for the foreseeable future. The ban forms part of the sanctions package that was announced by the EU in April. Member states were given time from April to August to secure alternate sources and to increase domestic production.

The Global Fallouts
Implications of the Ukraine war
On the same, Germany’s energy company Uniper announced its shift from receiving LNG from the US to Australia’s Woodside to boost supplies in Europe. Woodside and Uniper have a 13-year deal from 2021, for one million tonnes of LNG per year, which is expected to increase to two million tonnes from 2026. However, the switch, which comes due to the energy crisis in Europe is expected to reduce delivery time by at least 10 days, and also reduce shipping cost. The company’s spokesperson said that they will attempt to bring in the LNG that is currently in the Atlantic and is destined for Asian buyers in China, India and Japan.

On 11 August, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addressed the increased military activity and controversy at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant. He said: "Regrettably, instead of de-escalation, over the past several days there have been reports of further deeply worrying incidents that could, if they continue, lead to disaster.” In a statement Guterres called on Russia and Ukraine to immediately cease all military activity in the region and emphasized on the prevention of further deployments of military forces.

The interim UN Coordinator at the Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) in Istanbul, Frederik Kenney, said that they were expecting a “big uptick” in transit applications for grains export from Ukraine. He also mentioned that since now the safe passage of ships has been established, the JCC will do a review of the procedures in the coming weeks to further smoothen the process. Kenney said: "The goal of getting between two and five (million) metric tonnes is achievable.”

In an interview to TASS, China’s ambassador to Moscow Zhang Hanhui backed Russia and accused US to be the “initiator and instigator’ of the war in Ukraine. He said that the US promoting NATO’s expansion and supporting Ukraine’s EU membership has forced Russia into retaliating. 

On the same day, in Moldova, the director of Moldovgaz, Vadim Ceban warned that Moldova will not be able to pay its dues for August. While the company has money to pay for their July supply, Moldovgaz, a subsidiary of the Russian Gazprom, will have to pay USD 18 million for August, that it has not been able to procure yet. While the 20 August deadline approaches, Ceban informed that only USD 14 million has been arranged so far. Gazprom had said earlier that it will not make concessions to Moldova; however, Ceban said that Moldovgaz has already requested for a payment delay. 

References
“No one will be able to stop the wind carrying radiation, but all of us can stop the terrorist state of Russia - President's speech at the Conference of Defense Ministers of Northern European Countries and Ukraine,” president.gov.ua, 11 August 2022
“Emergency Action Plan Updated for Nuclear Plant Occupied by Russians,” Kyiv Post, 11 August 2022
“Massively outnumbering Ukraine in weaponry, Russians still can’t seal gains in Donetsk region – official,” Ukrinform, 11 August 2022
“Kherson Will be Liberated by End of Year” – Ukrainian Army Major General,” Kyiv Post, 11 August 2022
Dan Sabbagh and Samantha Lock, “Russian warplanes destroyed in Crimea airbase attack, satellite images show,” The Guardian, 11 August 2022
“Russia warns of nuclear disaster ‘worse than Chernobyl’,” RT, 11 August 2022
“Switzerland no longer a neutral state – Moscow,” RT, 11 August 2022
“Russia called for a review of diplomatic relations with Latvia,” lenta.ru, 11 August 2022
Robyn Dixon, “Russia confirms prisoner swap talks as U.S. hopes for Griner, Whelan release,” The Wahsington Post, 11 August 2022
Jacob Gronholt-pedersen, “Western countries pledge $1.55 bln in military aid to Ukraine,” Reuters, 11 August 2022
“Grain ship's departure from Ukrainian port delayed due to bad weather- Turkish ministry,” Reuters, 11 August 2022
“Sweden extradites man accused of fraud to Turkey following tricky NATO deal,” Euronews, 11 August 2022
“Hundreds join anti-Gazprom protest in Bulgarian capital,” AP News, 11 August 2022
Frank Jordans, “Scholz confident Germany can weather energy crisis in winter,” AP News, 11 August 2022
Rachel More and Paul Carrel, “'Count on us': Scholz promises new package to help Germans with energy bills,” Reuters, 11 August 2022
Vera Eckert and Marwa Rashad, “Uniper could swap Australian LNG for Atlantic gas to supply Europe quicker,” Reuters, 11 August 2022
“EU ban on Russian coal imports comes into force,” Deutsche Welle, 10 August 2022
“UN chief urges immediate halt to military activity near Ukraine nuclear power plant,” Reuters, 11 August 2022
Michelle Nichols, “U.N. expects 'big uptick' in ships wanting to export Ukraine grain,” Reuters, 11 August 2022
“China’s envoy to Moscow, Zhang Hanhui, backs Russia in Ukraine war, calls US ‘main instigator’ in crisis,” scmp, 11 August 2022
“Moldova Runs out of Cash to Pay Gazprom’s August Bill,” Balkan Insight, 11 August 2022

IN BRIEF
By Sai Pranav

FINLAND
World's first nuclear waste dump site in Eurajoki
On 11 August, a municipality in Finland agreed to allocate space for a nuclear waste dump nearby. The western Finland town named Eurajoki campaigned against several cities having the disposal site for nuclear waste from Olkiluoto nuclear power plant. The bedrock in the town is also compatible and stable to host atomic waste inside as it is two billion years old. The home of three reactors and the Onkalo repository has residents approving the waste site as they trust their leaders. Sweden and Germany take the Onkalo repository system as an example to dump their nuclear waste. Many expect that rest of the European member states to follow Finland's style of using nuclear energy. (“Teri Schultz, “Finns say yes to nuclear waste,” Deutsche Welle, 11 August 2022)

ENVIRONMENT
Seabed mining argument at a stalemate after three-week discussion
On 10 August, the Guardian reported that the negotiations on opening the world's first deep sea mines ended in a stalemate on 04 August. The three-week discussion took place at the International Seabed Authority (ISA) headquarters in Kingston, Jamaica. The ISA discussed a two-year rule in the meetings, triggered by Nauru declaring its plan to mine the seabed. The two-year government gave the ISA council to finalize a rulebook that governs all seabed mining activities. Countries like Spain, Ecuador, Costa Rica, and Chile asked ISA to stop the race toward deep-sea mining as it would cause detrimental effects on the environment. (“Deep-sea mining talks end with no agreement on environmental rules,” the Guardian, 10 August 2022)
 
TECHNOLOGY
The EU protects Meta from being shut down in Europe
On 10 August, POLITICO reported that the EU had rejected the Irish draft to shut down meta from Europe because it shared European data with the US. Ireland's private regulators wanted to block Facebook's parent company, Meta, from using the last legal mechanism called standard contractual clauses (SCCs) to transfer vast amounts of data like family images and direct messages to the US. Ireland's decision was made after the European Court of Justice ruled that significant data flows between Europe and the US illegal due to the exposure of Europeans to the Washington government surveillance risks. Many regulators of other EU states are opposed to the Irish draft after being reviewed. Ireland has to form another draft to block the data transfer, but it might take a lot of time to come into effect in the EU. In the meantime, companies such as Meta will be able to use the new EU-US data deal. (Vincent Manancourt “Europe staves off Facebook blackout — for now,” POLITICO, 10 August 2022)

REGIONAL
Greece asks for assistance from Turkey to transport migrants from the Evros river islet
On 11 August, Athens requested Ankara's assistance in providing medical aid to the 40 migrants abandoned on a river islet inside a restricted military zone at their border earlier. A report states that the Evros river islet is outside Greece's sovereignty. The authorities asked the Turkish officials to take necessary action to rescue the stuck migrants from the islet. Although police do not have trace of the migrants, despite the consecutive reports stating on their existence in different locations of the islet. Rejection by Greece and Turkey from entering their respective country pushed the migrants to the Evros river Islet. (Costas Kantouris, “Greece asks Turkey to help migrants reported stuck on islet,” AP, 11 August 2022)
 
The EU sends more firefighters to counter France’s wildfire
On 11 August, the European Commission announced that firefighters were being sent from Germany, Greece, Poland, Austria, and Romania to France to douse the wildfire in the south of Bordeaux, which had been reignited even though it was brought under control earlier. France had also requested firefighters' assistance from the EU and data from the bloc's Copernicus satellite on charred areas. France is also set to receive four firefighting aircraft in Greece and Sweden. Around 6800 hectares of land have been destroyed, and 10000 firefighters have been battling fires across France. Climate scientists warn that extreme temperatures are expected in the future as the Earth gets warmer due to envision of greenhouse gases by human activities. Not only France but also Spain and Portugal are battling wildfires across their nation. (“European firefighters rush to France's aid as wildfires rage,” Deutsche Welle, 11 August 2022)