Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy repeated a warning that Russia plans a “terrorist act” at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power as a way to pressure Western allies to seek an end to the war on Kremlin terms. Russia is reducing its presence at the plant, and Ukrainian employees have also been advised to leave, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Directorate said in a report on Friday. “The personnel that remains at the station were instructed ‘to blame Ukraine in case of any emergency situations,’” according to the intelligence agency.
Zelenskiy met with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who begins a six-month term as the European Union’s rotating president. Ukraine’s president said he’s closely monitoring events in Belarus, where Wagner mercenaries who’ve recently left Ukraine will reportedly operate out of three large field camps. On Friday Zelenskiy instructed his top brass to shore up the nation’s northern military command.
CIA Director William Burns called his Russian counterpart to say the US had no involvement in the failed mutiny by Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing officials familiar with the matter. The call with Sergei Naryshkin, head of Russia’s foreign-intelligence service, is believed to be the highest-level contact between the governments since the attempted uprising a week ago.
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- Deadline for Wagner fighters to sign contracts with Russian defense ministry
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