Erdogan Visits Lviv for Talks with Zelensky and UN Chief

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Turkish President Recep Erdogan met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Lviv, Ukraine, on Thursday, August 18. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres later joined the leaders to discuss the circumstances surrounding the Russian invasion of Ukraine, specifically the risk of nuclear catastrophe given the situation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. A statement from Zelensky’s office said the leaders “discussed the issue of Russia’s large-scale theft of grain,” which he said amounted to half a million tons. Credit: Suspilne News via Storyful

Smoke Rises Amid Reports of Renewed Shelling at Ukrainian Nuclear Plant

Smoke was reported at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine on Thursday, August 11, amid reports of renewed shelling at the facility. Russia accused Ukraine of striking the plant, but Ukrainian officials and Energoatom, the state enterprise that operates the plant, disputed the claim and said Russia was responsible. The US State Department called for a demilitarized zone to be implemented in the vicinity of the plant. The spokesperson also called for Russian troops to withdraw from the area and “return full control to Ukraine” for safe operation, according to Reuters. Energoatom said that in the case of nuclear catastrophe, the zone of contamination will reach two million square km (approximately 772,200 square miles), and give over one million people radiation poisoning. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he is “gravely concerned about the unfolding situation” and added that damage to the plant “could lead to catastrophic consequences.” Credit: Sergio Olmos via Storyful

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