Russia and Ukraine report gains on battlefield

MOSCOW/KYIV — Russia and Ukraine both reported new battlefield gains on Thursday, with Moscow saying that the Ukrainian drone attack on a nuclear power station was "an act of nuclear terrorism".

The Ukrainian defense ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the development.

The nuclear plant is located in the Kursk region of western Russia, where fierce fighting has raged since Ukrainian forces launched a surprise incursion on Aug 6.

TASS quoted Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova as saying that it was an "act of nuclear terrorism" that required an immediate response from the International Atomic Energy Agency, or IAEA.

The head of the IAEA said on Thursday he will visit the Kursk power plant next week to assess the situation after Russia informed the agency of attempted attacks on the facility earlier in the day.

IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi said in a statement that he will assess the situation on-site and will discuss modalities for further activities needed to evaluate the nuclear safety and security conditions of the plant during his upcoming visit.

Authorities in Kursk said they had begun installing concrete shelters to help protect civilians.

In another development, Moscow said its troops had taken control of the village of Mezhove in the Donetsk region, and that they had beaten back an attempt by a Ukrainian force to infiltrate its border in a different region to Kyiv's Aug 6 incursion.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the seizure of a new village that he did not name, and said the incursion had helped reduce Russian shelling of the northeastern Sumy region.

Also in Kyiv, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in the capital city on Friday, where he was due to meet with Zelensky. Officials in India and Ukraine said the visit was expected to focus on boosting economic ties and cooperation in defense, science and technology.

Ukrainian media reported that Modi met with representatives of the Indian diaspora after arriving.

Meanwhile in the United States, President Joe Biden's administration will send about $125 million in new military aid to Ukraine, officials said on Thursday.

US officials said the latest package of aid includes air defense missiles, munitions for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, Javelins and an array of other anti-armor missiles.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the aid has not been publicly announced. The formal announcement could come as soon as Friday, which is the eve of Ukraine's Independence Day.

The weapons are being provided through presidential drawdown authority, which means they are taken from Pentagon stockpiles and can be delivered more quickly.

Agencies - Xinhua