ZNPP accident drills and Ukraine's lawsuit against Iran: highlights of June 29

Drills in case of an accident at Zaporizhzhya NPP

Today, on June 29, large-scale special exercises have begun in Ukraine to prepare for a possible terrorist attack at the temporarily occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

The exercises are being held in Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro, and part of Kherson Oblasts. These exercises are close to real-life events.

According to the legend, there was an alleged radiation leak from one of the Zaporizhzhia NPP units. About 8,000 people were involved in the training. About 350 special vehicles and 400 evacuation buses were used.

Selection of the Head of ARMA

Dmytro Ostapenko, a member of the selection committee for the head of the Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA), withdrew his vote for Olena Duma. She had received the most points and thus won the competition. She will now have the same number of votes as the other candidate.

“Having weighed the pros and cons, I am withdrawing my vote for Olena Duma, and today I have initiated an extraordinary meeting of the competition commission to elect the head of ARMA, at which I will make a statement,” Ostapenko wrote.

Ukraine files a lawsuit against Iran

Ukraine and other members of the International Coordination Group for the Victims of Flight PS-752 are filing a lawsuit against Iran for the downing of the plane. The group members represent Canada, Sweden, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom. They noted that they have not reached an agreement with Iran on the organization of arbitration.

Wagner PMC will no longer fight in Ukraine?

The head of the Ukrainian intelligence service, Kyrylo Budanov, believes that the Russian PMC Wagner will no longer fight in Ukraine. He noted that the Wagner mercenaries are still in occupied Luhansk, where they have had a base since 2014, and in southern Ukraine. Nevertheless, according to the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate, the mercenaries are not currently taking part in hostilities.

Stoltenberg likely to remain NATO chief for another year

Jens Stoltenberg will remain as NATO Secretary General for another year, and the decision is expected to be made public next week, Politico and the Times report.

His official term of office is due to expire on September 30. Stoltenberg has been head of NATO since 2014, and his term has been extended several times.

Debris removal completed in Kramatorsk

Emergency workers have completed search and rescue operations in Kramatorsk. The death toll has risen to 12 people, all of whom have been identified. There are three children among the victims: A 17-year-old girl and 14-year-old sisters. A total of 65 people were injured in the two attacks, including an eight-month-old baby.

A resident of Kramatorsk, who was detained by counterintelligence hot on the heels of an occupation missile attack on the city, was notified of suspicion of adjusting Russian shelling. He faces 15 years in prison or life in prison.

The head of the city's military administration, Oleksandr Honcharenko, signed a decree declaring June 30, July 1 and 2 as days of mourning for all those who died as a result of the missile attack on Kramatorsk.

Meetings with Zelenskyy

Environmental activist Greta Thunberg arrived in Kyiv. She is a member of the International Working Group on Environmental Crimes in Russia. Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with the group. They talked, in particular, about the catastrophic consequences of the explosion of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant dam, as well as the deaths of people in the occupied settlements.

Former US Vice President Mike Pence, who is running for the Republican nomination in the US presidential election, also paid an unannounced visit to Kyiv. He met with Zelenskyy and also visited Bucha, Irpin, and Moshchuni in Kyiv Oblast.

Other news:

• The results of Judge Tandyr's alcohol test have not been available for a month. The victim's lawyers believe that the experts are being bribed.
• The head of the Ternopil regional council, suspected of bribery, is released from custody after being granted bail.
• The court released a security guard of the hospital where people died under nightly house arrest.
• The National Commission explains its decision to rename the cities but promises to reconsider.
• No funeral for the killed teenagers in occupied Berdiansk took place. Parents are not given the bodies of their children, media report.
• Saakashvili v. Ukraine: The ECHR declared inadmissible the politician's lawsuit against violation of his rights.
• The Verkhovna Rada adopted a law on the introduction of an electronic excise stamp.