September 1, 2022 Russia-Ukraine news

By Tara Subramaniam, Jack Guy, Aditi Sangal and Adrienne Vogt, CNN

Updated 2:59 a.m. ET, September 2, 2022
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11:22 a.m. ET, September 1, 2022

"Key things I needed to see, I saw": IAEA chief visiting Zaporizhzhia plant, according to Russian media

From CNN's Yulia Kesaieva in Kyiv and Fred Pleitgen

A motorcade transporting the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) mission, escorted by the Russian military, arrives at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plan on September 1.
A motorcade transporting the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) mission, escorted by the Russian military, arrives at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plan on September 1. Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters

The head of the UN's nuclear watchdog, Rafael Grossi, said his team was able to gather "a lot" of information in a few hours while visiting the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant Thursday.

He was able to look at the "key things" he needed to see, Grossi told reporters in a video released by Russian state news agency RIA Novosti. 

“We were able, in these few hours, to gather a lot, a lot of information. The key things I needed to see, I saw,” he said in the video.

Grossi left the plant following the visit, RIA Novosti reported. 

The news agency published a video where some United Nations vehicles were seen leaving the facility. It is not clear whether the rest of the members of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspection team are still at the plant. 

The IAEA has not yet independently confirmed Grossi’s departure from the plant. CNN has contacted the agency for comment.

11:08 a.m. ET, September 1, 2022

EU decision to suspend simplified visas for Russians is "ridiculous," Kremlin says

From CNN's Anna Chernova and Chris Liakos

European Union leaders' political agreement to suspend the bloc's visa facilitation agreement with Moscow, making it harder for Russian citizens to obtain Schengen visas, is “ridiculous” and will make life more complicated for Europeans as well, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Thursday.

“This is bad for the Russians because it will most likely take longer and more difficult to obtain visas,” Peskov told reporters on a conference call. "Of course, withdrawing this agreement will also make the situation more difficult for the Europeans."

This is “another ridiculous solution to an ongoing absurdity," Peskov went on to say.

Some background: Following a two day informal meeting in Prague, EU's foreign ministers on Wednesday reached an agreement to fully suspend the visa facilitation deal between the European Union and Russia. They stopped short of an outright ban on travel to the bloc.

Noting that this is only a political agreement at this point and not legal text, top EU diplomat Josep Borrell said that once adopted, the decision “will significantly reduce the number of new visas issued by the EU member states."

It is not yet clear when the suspension would come into force.

10:57 a.m. ET, September 1, 2022

China and India participate in Russia’s Vostok military exercises

From CNN’s Beijing bureau, Martin Goillandeau in London and Swati Gupta in New Delhi 

Chinese service members at the opening ceremony for joint military exercises in the far eastern Primorsky region of Russia on August 31.
Chinese service members at the opening ceremony for joint military exercises in the far eastern Primorsky region of Russia on August 31. (Russian Defense Ministry/Reuters)

China and India are taking part in large-scale joint military exercises led by Russia in its Eastern Military District, the two countries’ defense ministries have confirmed. 

Belarus, Mongolia, Tajikistan and other countries are also participating in the exercises.

More than 2,000 troops, as well as more than 300 vehicles of various types, 21 fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, and three ships were also sent by China to the exercise, according to state-run tabloid The Global Times. 

“As per the annual cooperation plan between the Chinese and Russian militaries and the consensus reached by the two sides, the PLA (People’s Liberation Army) recently sent troops to Russia to participate in the Vostok-2022 exercise,” Senior Colonel Tan Kefei, spokesperson for China’s Ministry of National Defense, said in a press conference last week. 

Tan added that the PLA’s participation aimed to “deepen practical and friendly cooperation with other participating militaries, enhance strategic coordination among participating parties, and strengthen the capability to jointly respond to various security threats.” 

In mid-August, China’s defense ministry said that the drills were “unrelated to the current international and regional situation.”

An Indian Army contingent will also take part in in the drills, India’s Ministry of Defence said. 

“The exercise is aimed at interaction and coordination amongst other participating military contingents and observers. ... Over the next seven days will undertake joint maneuvers to include joint field training exercises, combat discussions, and firepower exercises,” according to a press release from the ministry on Thursday. 

“The Indian Army contingent will look forward to sharing practical aspects and put into practice the validated drills, procedures and practice amalgamation of new technology through discussions and tactical exercises,” the release added.

For context: India has participated in similar exercises with China and Russia in the past, but this latest one comes amid heightened tensions over both Taiwan and Ukraine. Over the past six months, India has refrained from taking a strong stance on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine despite heavy pressure from Western countries. 

In total, more than 50,000 servicemen and over 5,000 units of weapons and military equipment — including 140 aircraft, 60 warships, boats and support vessels — will be involved in the Vostok-2022 exercises, according to Russian state news agency TASS.

Russia last staged its Vostok drills in 2018, which it then branded as its “largest war games since the fall of the Soviet Union,” including thousands of troops from China and Mongolia. 

10:16 a.m. ET, September 1, 2022

Russia-appointed official tells state media that IAEA mission will stay until Sept. 3

From CNN's Uliana Pavlova

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) mission is planning on inspecting operational parts of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and will visit its reactors on Thursday, the Russian-installed governor of occupied areas of Zaporizhzhia, Yevhen Balytskyi, told Russian state news agency RIA Novosti. 

According to Balytskyi, the mission will stay at the plant until Sept. 3.

The IAEA mission arrived at the plant Thursday afternoon local time after being delayed on the Ukrainian-controlled side of the front line for about three hours. 

While setting off for the plant from the Ukrainian-controlled city of Zaporizhzhia earlier Thursday, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said the mission would persevere despite the "inherent risks" his monitoring team would face. 

Grossi said there are plans to establish a permanent presence at the plant, which was captured by Russian troops in March. Both sides have accused each other of shelling it. 

According to RIA Novosti, a representative from Russia’s state nuclear energy company Rosatom showed the plant to the IAEA mission, including the consequences of shelling that the Russian side blames on the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

11:36 a.m. ET, September 1, 2022

Ukraine cannot guarantee security for IAEA mission, energy minister says

From CNN’s Sergio Olmos in Zaporizhzhia region, Daria Markina in Kyiv and Anastasia Graham-Yooll in London

Ukrainian Minister of Energy, Herman Halushchenko, talks to media prior a meeting in Brussels on July 26.
Ukrainian Minister of Energy, Herman Halushchenko, talks to media prior a meeting in Brussels on July 26. Thierry Monasse/Getty Images

Ukraine cannot grant all the security for the team of UN nuclear inspectors at the Zaporizhzia nuclear plant, Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said, stressing that the situation around the nuclear facility remains "a mess."

Rafael Grossi, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), was told that security is "your own responsibility," Halushchenko said.

Grossi seemed "confident to assume the risk," he added.

Halushchenko was speaking in Novooleksandrivka in the Zaporizhzhia region earlier on Thursday, where he accompanied the IAEA delegation before they traveled on to the Russian-occupied territory. 

Remember: The Zaporizhzhia region is still in Ukrainian control but the nuclear power plant is occupied by the Russians.

“Ukraine fulfilled all international obligations and gave every possibility for this mission to come, ” Halushchenko told reporters, praising the bravery of the mission participants in facing “challenges never seen before” in IAEA history.

Halushchenko said he understands the mission has “some security agreement with the Russians” and suggested several members of the team would stay onsite “for several days,” but said Grossi is due to arrive back in Novooleksandrivka on Thursday. 

10:14 a.m. ET, September 1, 2022

CNN on the ground: What the scene is like at Ukraine's second-largest nuclear plant as daily threats continue

From CNN's Rebecca Wright and Olga Konovalova in Mykolaiv region

The director of the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant (SUNPP) heads down into the emergency bunker with his team, a daily occurrence when air raid sirens sound warning that Russian missiles could be approaching.

Ihor Polovych and his team have learned to work effectively from the well-equipped basement room of the SUNPP in the Mykolaiv region, assessing the potential incoming danger and returning above ground when they are assured by the military that their plant is not the target.

His assistant tells him that this alarm sounded because there were “planes over Crimea with guided missiles onboard” and “nobody knows where they will fly.”

During CNN’s exclusive visit to Ukraine's second-largest nuclear power plant on Wednesday, air raid sirens sounded four times within the space of a few hours, emphasizing the uncertainty and fear which the workers are facing.

“Given that we are close to the frontline, the personnel feels the danger,” Polovych said.

At least three times since the invasion began six months ago, Russian missiles have soared above the SUNPP, coming dangerously close to power lines and risking the safety of the plant.

If a missile ever hits the plant, “the worst thing possible will happen,” Polovych said. “History already knows such examples. The last one is the accident at the Japanese nuclear power plant, Fukushima.”

But the team is thankful that the plant is still in Ukrainian hands. The SUNPP narrowly avoided a takeover by Russian troops early in the war.

Voznesensk, a town around 20 miles (more than 46 kilometers) south of the plant, managed to thwart the Russian advance after blowing up their own bridge.

Those few days were a “very dangerous period” for the plant, Polovych said.

Meanwhile, the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine was stormed by Russian troops and is now at the center of a nuclear safety crisis as it comes under regular shelling. On Thursday, a team from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) arrived to inspect the plant.

Watch CNN's report here:

9:33 a.m. ET, September 1, 2022

It's 3 p.m. in Kyiv. Here's what you need to know

From CNN staff

A team of UN nuclear inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has arrived at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, in southeastern Ukraine, following delays en route and shelling in the nearby city of Enerhodar.

Meanwhile, the chairman of Russian oil and gas giant Lukoil, which spoke out against Russia's invasion of Ukraine, has died after falling out of a hospital window, according to state media.

Here are the latest headlines:

  • IAEA inspectors arrive at Zaporizhzhia: The IAEA mission has arrived at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant after being delayed on the Ukrainian-controlled side of the front line for about three hours. Setting off for the plant from Zaporizhzhia city earlier Thursday, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said the mission would persevere despite the "inherent risks" his monitoring team would face. Grossi plans to establish a permanent presence at the plant, where constant shelling has sparked fears of a nuclear accident. 
  • Ukraine accuses Russia of disrupting IAEA visit: A Ukrainian presidential adviser has accused Russian forces of trying to disrupt the visit of nuclear inspectors to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant by shelling the nearby city of Enerhodar. Shelling has been ongoing in Enerhodar since Thursday morning, according to Ukrainian and Russian-installed regional officials.
  • What Russia is saying: Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday that Russia is doing everything so that the IAEA mission can safely carry out its work. "We are doing everything to keep this station is safe, to function safely and to ensure that the mission there carries out all its plans,” Lavrov said in a speech to Moscow university students, accusing the Ukrainians of shelling the plant.
  • Fifth Zaporizhzhia reactor shut down: The fifth reactor at the nuclear power plant was shut down and its emergency protection system activated on Thursday due to shelling, Ukraine's nuclear operator Energoatom said in a statement. The plant, which was disconnected from the country's power grid last Thursday, has six reactors, only two of which have been functioning.
  • Lukoil chairman dies in fall: The chairman of Russian oil and gas giant Lukoil — which spoke out against Russia's invasion of Ukraine — has died after falling out of a hospital window, state news agencies RIA Novosti and TASS reported Thursday. Ravil Maganov died at the Central Clinical Hospital west of Moscow, according to the reports.
  • Russia facing "severe" troop shortages: The US believes that Russia is facing "severe" shortages of military personnel in Ukraine and is seeking new ways to increase its troop levels. "We believe that the Russian Ministry of Defense (MOD) is seeking to recruit contract service members to make up for these personnel shortages, including by compelling wounded soldiers to reenter combat, acquiring personnel from private security companies, and paying bonuses to conscripts," a US official told CNN.

8:14 a.m. ET, September 1, 2022

IAEA mission arrives at Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant

From CNN’s Uliana Pavlova and Sarah Dean

IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi and fellow officials try to negotiate access to Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant on September 1.
IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi and fellow officials try to negotiate access to Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant on September 1. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) /REUTERS

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) mission has arrived at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Ukraine’s nuclear operator Energoatom has confirmed in a statement on Telegram.

The IAEA also confirmed the arrival on Twitter. 

“IAEA's Support and Assistance Mission to Zaporizhzhia (ISAMZ) led by Director General Rafael Grossi has just arrived at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant to conduct indispensable nuclear safety and security and safeguards activities,” the agency said in a tweet

7:55 a.m. ET, September 1, 2022

European officials to discuss energy price cap amid skyrocketing costs

From CNN’s Duarte Mendonca

The European Commission is currently considering options to cap energy prices and reduce electricity demand, as part of a strategy to deal with the steep rise in energy costs partly caused by fallout from Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

"There’s a crisis now. I think we are all extremely aware and the energy prices both gas and electricity bills are high as we’ve never seen before," said Mechthild Wörsdörfer, deputy director general of the commission's energy department, on Thursday.

"There’s speculation, there’s uncertainty in the market and that’s why we are looking even more intensively right now what else needs to be done."

Prices have jumped since Russia's Gazprom announced that it would shut down the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline for three days starting Wednesday to perform maintenance work, reigniting fears that Moscow could completely shut off gas to Europe.

Europe is desperate to secure gas supplies that can't be cut off at Moscow's whim after the Kremlin signaled its willingness to punish the bloc for its support of Ukraine. 

"There is work on emergency measures on electricity prices. There might be also something on demand reduction for electricity," Wörsdörfer said during a European Parliament energy committee meeting on winter preparedness.

Wörsdörfer added that the European Commission is looking in the "medium to long term" to change their electricity market design, adding it "takes time."

According to Wörsdörfer, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is expected to outline the commission’s plan to tackle energy prices on September 14.

Energy ministers of the European Union member states are scheduled to gather on September 9 in Brussels for an emergency meeting.