Moscow announces that a British reconnaissance plane has violated its airspace, and Kiev warns of "nuclear disaster"

In a phone call with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu discussed the conditions for the safe operation of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, while the Russian Defense Ministry announced that a British RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft violated Russian airspace. .

The ministry also indicated - in a statement - that the two sides also discussed, during the call, the United Nations initiative on facilitating the supply of Russian fertilizers and food commodities.

In a related context, the Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed that it would not allow any visit by the International Atomic Energy Agency to inspect the Zaporozhye nuclear plant if it was passing through Kyiv.

The Russian Information Agency quoted Igor Vishnevitsky, deputy head of the Department of Nuclear Proliferation and Arms Control in the Russian Foreign Ministry, that any visit by the International Atomic Energy Agency to inspect the Ukrainian nuclear plant Zaporozhye could not pass through Kyiv, because the matter is extremely dangerous.

Vishnevitsky added that any such visit does not have a mandate to address the issue of "disarmament" of the plant as demanded by Kyiv, and can only deal with "fulfillment of IAEA guarantees."

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said that the United Nations has the necessary logistical and security capabilities to support the visit of inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency to the Zaporozhye plant via Kyiv, but there should be an agreement with both Russia and Ukraine.

Dujarric, in a speech in New York on Monday, rejected Russian accusations that the United Nations prevents nuclear experts from visiting the Zaporozhye nuclear plant.

He stressed that the United Nations Secretariat does not have the authority to "prevent or cancel" the flight of IAEA staff, adding that the Vienna-based nuclear authority works independently of the United Nations.

Russia seized the station - the largest in Europe - last March, shortly after the start of its war on Ukraine, and the station was bombed in recent days.

While Russia says Ukraine is shooting at the station, Kyiv says it is Moscow that is bombing it, accusing Ukraine of causing any blackouts.

Ukrainian warning

For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Monday evening that if a "disaster" occurred in Zaporozhye (the nuclear plant located in the south of his country and under the control of Russian forces), the whole of Europe would be threatened.

During his daily speech, Zelensky said that any radiation accident at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant could hit the European Union, Turkey, Georgia and further countries, it depends on the direction and intensity of the wind.

He stressed that the world will lose to "terrorism and succumb to nuclear blackmail" unless action is taken to protect the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant.

Zelensky added that the provocative bombing of the nuclear power plant's territory continues, as Russian forces hide ammunition and materiel inside the plant's facilities, and if the world does not show strength and decisiveness now to defend one nuclear power plant, this means that it will lose.

RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft (Wikipedia)

British plane

For its part, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that a British RC-135 reconnaissance plane violated Russian airspace.

The ministry explained that the Russian air defense forces detected an unknown target heading towards Russian territory over the Barents Sea, and a fighter was directed to intercept it.

The statement added that the Russian fighter forced the British reconnaissance plane to leave Russian airspace.

In turn, British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace assured Al Jazeera that his country will continue, with its partners, to provide military and financial support to Ukraine in the face of the Russian war.

What is happening in Ukraine is undermining the economies of the world, civilians are being indiscriminately bombed, raped and other atrocities, it is time for the world to stand firm and say that this is not acceptable.

In turn, German Chancellor Olaf Schulz reiterated that Germany and the Nordic countries will continue to support Ukraine by all means, including military.

Schultz added at a Nordic summit in Oslo that these countries support the unity and sovereignty of Ukraine.

Trial of "mercenaries"

On the ground, the Moscow-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine began on Monday the trial of 5 foreigners - 3 Britons, a Croat and a Swede - on charges of fighting in the ranks of the Ukrainian army as "mercenaries", on a charge that carries the death penalty.

The Supreme Court of the separatist Donetsk region opened the trial of the five defendants, who are Britons John Harding, Andrew Hill and Dylan Healy, Croatian Vikoslav Prebig and Swede Matthias Gustafsson, according to Russian media.

In early June, Donetsk separatists sentenced two foreign fighters, one British and one Moroccan, to death for fighting in the ranks of the Ukrainian forces, and the two convicts appealed the sentence.

The implementation of the death penalty has been frozen in Russia since 1997, but this is not the case in the two separatist regions loyal to it in eastern Ukraine.