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The head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog announced on the end of the week that he was discussing proposals with Russia and Kyiv to restore off-site power to the occupied atomic facility in Zaporizhzhia, describing it as a “question of political will”. The biggest in Europe atomic energy station has been disconnected from outside electricity since late September, with the fuel in its reactors being maintained by backup power systems. IAEA chief, Rafael Grossi, said: “Each party say they stand ready to conduct the necessary repairs on their own territories of the battle line. But for this to occur, the security situation on the ground must improve so that the engineers can carry out their vital work without risking their lives.”

French Photojournalist Killed in Moscow’s Drone Attack in Ukraine’s East

French photojournalist Antoni Lallican lost his life by a Russian drone attack in eastern Ukraine on Friday. The mid-thirties award-winning photographer was embedded with Ukraine’s Fourth Armoured Brigade near the combat zone in the eastern Ukraine when killed, officials in Kyiv reported. Ukrainian journalist Georgiy Ivanchenko was injured in the identical incident. “Both journalists were wearing personal protective equipment, and their protective armor had identification marks with the word ‘PRESS’ on them,” the Fourth Armoured Brigade noted on Facebook.

Association Leader Denounces Targeting Journalists

The head of the Ukraine’s journalist association, Serhiy Tomilenko, informed Ukrainian media that Lallican had been killed near the town of Druzhkivka, one of the most active sectors of the 1,250km Donbas frontline. “By targeting journalists, the Moscow’s forces is intentionally targeting those trying to document war crimes,” Tomilenko said. “To media workers, every trip to the combat area is a mortal danger. Antoni Lallican took this risk repeatedly, coming to Ukraine, going to Donbas, documenting what some ignore.”

France’s leader, Emmanuel Macron, voiced “profound sorrow” for Lallican’s death, stating on X he was “the victim of an strike by Moscow’s unmanned aircraft”.

Global journalist groups condemned Lallican’s death in what it called a “war crime”. Kyiv’s top diplomat, Andriy Sybiga, said Russia “persists in attacking media personnel”, labeling it “a terrible offense and violation of global norms”.

Moscow Launches Largest Assault on Ukrainian Gas Network

Moscow has executed its most extensive attack on the country’s energy system since Moscow first invaded in 2022, Ukraine’s national energy company Naftogaz reported on Friday. “As a result of this assault, a significant portion of our facilities have been damaged. Some of the damage is critical,” the company head, Sergiy Koretsky, declared. About three dozen rockets and 60 drones were fired at its facilities in the north-eastern Kharkiv region and central Ukraine, Naftogaz noted. “A number were intercepted. Unfortunately, not all,” it said. There were electricity outages in multiple areas, Ukraine’s energy ministry said.

Large-Scale Animal Losses in Airstrike

Roughly 13,000 pigs were killed in the northeastern part of Ukraine during the night after a Moscow-led strike started a blaze on a agricultural facility, the national rescue agency announced, adding that a worker at the site was also hurt. Photos released by the service showed pig carcasses piled up in cramped sheds that were partially destroyed, a few with their coverings collapsed. The pigs were housed in multiple pens spanning just over a large area, all of which burned down in the fire, the emergency service explained.

Kyiv Severs Relations with Central American Nation

The Ukrainian government has cut off official relations with Nicaragua in reaction to it accepting seized lands as Russian, Ukraine’s diplomatic office said. The nation was one of only five UN countries to oppose censuring Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. In a letter to Russia’s president in mid-year, the leader of Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega, portrayed the military action as a “valiant fight against Western-supported Ukrainian neo-nazism”. The Ukrainian foreign ministry stated it considered Nicaragua’s move “an attempt to undermine the sovereignty and borders of Ukraine”. Ukraine does not have significant trade ties with Nicaragua or an embassy in the state.