Russia has the capability of expanding the war in Ukraine and its military power shouldn’t be underestimated by the West, a top German general has warned.
Germany’s chief of defence General Eberhard Zorn said on Wednesday (Thursday, AEST) that Russia has the potential to open up a second front should it decide to do so.
“The bulk of the Russian land forces may be tied down in Ukraine at the moment but, even so, we should not underestimate the Russian land forces’ potential to open a second theatre of war,” Zorn told news agency Reuters.
As Russia’s relations with the West have soured since the February 24 invasion of Ukraine, Kaliningrad’s military role has grown.
Its location has put it in the forefront of Moscow’s efforts to counter what it described as NATO’s hostile policies.
The Kremlin has methodically bolstered its military forces there, arming them with state-of-the-art weapons, including precision-guided Iskander missiles and an array of air defence systems.
In other news, a team of UN inspectors made its way toward Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant on Wednesday on a perilous, long-sought mission to safeguard the site and prevent a catastrophe from the fighting raging around it.
Fighting in early March caused a brief fire at its training complex, and in recent days, the plant was temporarily knocked offline because of damage, heightening fears of a radiation leak or a reactor meltdown. Officials have begun distributing anti-radiation iodine tablets to nearby residents.
The complex has been occupied by Russian forces but run by Ukrainian engineers since the early days of the six-month-old war.
Ukraine alleges Russia is using the plant as a shield, storing weapons there and launching attacks from around it, while Moscow accuses Ukraine of recklessly firing on the place.
The UN convoy of vans and SUVs finally set out from Kyiv early on Wednesday and arrived in the afternoon in the city of Zaporizhzhia, still some 120km by road from the plant. Ukrainian authorities said the team would stay in the city overnight and attempt to enter the plant on Thursday.
IAEA chief and mission leader Rafael Grossi said the “real work” will start on Thursday. He underscored the challenges ahead.
“It’s a mission that seeks to prevent a nuclear accident and to preserve this important — the largest, the biggest — nuclear power plant in Europe,” he said.
Grossi said he is hoping the IAEA will be able to establish a “continued presence” at the plant to safeguard it against an accident.
– Reported with Associated Press
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