Russia's continued occupation of Zaporizhzhya NPP could lead to a nuclear disaster.

The incompetent actions of the Russian occupiers of Zaporizhzhya NPP are increasing the risks of a nuclear accident. The IAEA reported this morning that overnight ZNPP was completely disconnected from the external power source, but the connection has now been restored.

The damaged power line was promptly repaired by Ukrainian specialists. By this time, Zaporizhzhya NPP had been on the verge of another blackout for almost a whole day in case the backup line was de-energised. Since the Russian takeover, ZNPP has repeatedly lost its external power supply. During this time, the plant has experienced seven complete blackouts and one partial blackout.

The Russian occupiers also never tire of reminding how dangerous their incompetent occupation administration can be for the entire Black Sea region. One example is the recent 90-minute power outage at ZNPP Unit 6 which forced the use of an emergency diesel generator. Also, a leakage of borated water from the first to the second cooling circuit of one of the unit's steam generators was detected.

Such actions of the Russian occupiers lead to the degradation of the plant's equipment, and thus increase the risks of a nuclear accident. In addition, ZNPP has been experiencing a shortage of personnel for more than a year. The Russians find the necessary specialists with difficulty.

Russia not only controls Zaporizhzhya NPP, but also uses it as a military base. In addition to a warehouse with ammunition, military equipment is placed on its territory on a daily basis. The territory of the power plant is mined, from which Ukrainian settlements are shelled.

Therefore, in order to avoid a nuclear catastrophe, which according to many experts could be worse than Chernobyl, Russia must fulfil the IAEA's calls to end its occupation of Ukraine's nuclear facilities and withdraw its troops from the ZNPP.

The PACE special committee on Ukrainian children will become a tool to counteract their removal to the Russian Federation

The PACE Bureau has approved the structure of the special committee that will investigate the violation of the rights of Ukrainian children by Russia. PACE has already recognised the deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia as genocide. This committee will become an additional tool to counteract kidnapping in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine

When the invasion of Ukraine began, the Russians forcibly removed at least 20 thousand Ukrainian children to Russia. This are the official statistics, which include documented cases. The real figure is much higher: the Russian Federation does not provide any data regarding the number of children deported from Ukraine. Moreover, this process continues: Russians are taking children out of the occupied territories of Ukraine under the pretext of recuperation and evacuation. After the liberation of Kherson by the Ukrainian army, local residents said that from the first days of the occupation the Russian military organised a real hunt for Ukrainian children. The Russians were looking for them everywhere: in orphanages, children's hospitals, in order to take them to Russia, which was experiencing a severe demographic crisis.

Once on Russian territory, Ukrainian children end up either in orphanages or in foster families. Often their names are changed and they are moved to remote, depressed regions of the Russian Federation in order to make their potential return home as difficult as possible.

A terrorist state that deports Ukrainian children should receive additional sanctions and find itself in complete international isolation. Ukraine, with the help of its Western partners, will bring home every child stolen by Putin's criminal regime.