Ukraine war: Russia rejects Zaporizhzhia demilitarisation, UN chief in Lviv, Kharkiv bombardment
Russia's Foreign Ministry has dismissed a proposal by the head of the United Nations to demilitarise the area around the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine.
Spokesman Ivan Nechaev told a news briefing on Thursday that the proposals were "unacceptable".
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who is visiting Ukraine, is due to meet the Ukrainian and Turkish presidents, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in the western city of Lviv.
The leaders are expected to discuss ways to find a political solution to the war and address the threat to global food supplies as well as the risk of a disaster at Zaporizhzhia, which was taken over by Russian forces in March.
In his nightly video address on Wednesday, President Zelenskyy reaffirmed his demand for the Russian military to leave the plant, emphasising that “only absolute transparency and control of the situation" by the UN's nuclear watchdog the IAEA among others could guarantee safety.
"The Russian army must withdraw from the territory of the nuclear power plant and all neighbouring areas, and take away its military equipment from the station. This should happen without any conditions and as soon as possible," Zelenskyy said.
Moscow and Kyiv have accused each other of shelling the plant in southern Ukraine, which Ukraine has staunchly denied targeting.
On Thursday Russia accused Kyiv and the West of planning a "provocation" at Zaporizhzhia during the UN chief's visit to Ukraine, warning of a risk of a man-made disaster.
The Russian defence ministry accused Ukraine and what it called its "US handlers" of trying to stage a "minor accident" that may involve a radiation leak at the plant, in order to blame Moscow. It said Russia was taking
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