Counterattack plan details revealed? IAEA reassures about Zaporizhzhia plant situation after Kakhovka dam collapse

Ukraine was hit by another airstrike overnight, sources revealed details of Kiev's counterattack plan and the situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant after the Kakhovka dam collapse in Kherson are some of the new developments in the Eastern European country.

Tình hình Ukraine: Lộ chi tiết kế hoạch phản công? IAEA trấn an về tình hình nhà máy Zaporizhzhia sau vụ vỡ đập Kakhovka. (Nguồn: Twitter)

The IAEA confirmed that the water supply to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant remains stable despite the Kakhovka dam collapse. (Source: Twitter)

On June 9, the Ukrainian Air Force (VSU) issued a statement saying that Russian forces launched 16 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and 6 cruise missiles in the airstrike last night, of which the VSU shot down 4 cruise missiles and 10 UAVs.

On the same day, Izvestia newspaper, citing informed sources, revealed details of the VSU's counterattack plan, according to which the Ukrainian army planned to attack in three directions and approach the area of Tokmak city in Zaporizhia province.

The Ukrainian army will break through Russia's first line of defense, then attack the strategic port city of Berdyansk in Zaporizhzhia province and possibly the city of Mariupol.

The source said: “The situation is still difficult. Although the enemy has suffered losses, they still have enough forces and means to continue attacking. VSU is continuing to actively probe the defense force and trying to find opportunities to continue attacking.”

Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that the counteroffensive schedule had been approved, all important decisions on the planned operation had been made.

On the same day, a Japanese government source said that Prime Minister Kishida Fumio is arranging to hold a phone call with President Zelensky during the day.

This will be the first discussion between the two leaders since the closing day of the G7 Summit, which lasted from May 19-21 in Hiroshima, Japan.

Regarding the situation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) , the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said that the ZNPP is still receiving water from the Kakhovka hydroelectric dam after the dam broke on June 6, denying information that the Kakhovka reservoir is no longer able to supply water to Europe's largest nuclear power plant.

The IAEA statement came after Igor Syrota, CEO of the Kakhovka dam operator Ukrhydroenergo, said the water level in the reservoir had fallen below the dangerous low of 12.7 metres, meaning it would not be able to provide enough cooling water to the ZNPP.

The IAEA stated that ZNPP is continuing to pump water from the Kakhovka reservoir and so far, many review results have shown that the plant can still pump water from the reservoir even when the water level drops to about 11m or possibly lower.

The review also includes consultation with experts and experienced professionals, the IAEA noted.

According to IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, in the current difficult situation, this will allow the plant more time before it can switch to an alternative water supply.

However, experts remain uncertain about the overall nuclear safety and security of the plant, warning that the situation is potentially dangerous. It is not yet clear how much damage has been done, nor when and at what level the reservoir's water levels will stabilize.

Mr Grossi said that IAEA experts had requested access to the area, including the reservoir level gauge, to independently verify the condition of the plant’s cooling water systems. An IAEA team was already at the plant.

The Kakhovka Dam, which supplies cooling water to the ZNPP, is located about 150 km away. The dam collapse is raising concerns about a nuclear accident at Europe's largest power plant.

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