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Russia claims nuclear plant targeted during massive Ukrainian drone attack | Russia-Ukraine war News
Russia and Ukraine continue to swap daily barrages, with the prospects of ceasefire talks appearing slim.
A nuclear power plant was among targets during a massive Ukrainian drone attack, Russian officials have said.
Moscow said on Wednesday that the country’s energy infrastructure had come under attack by at least 100 drones overnight. Ukraine also reported strikes. The continuing barrages were accompanied by barbs from the two countries’ presidents, suggesting little prospect of peace talks.
The Russian Ministry of Defence said on Telegram that 104 drones were involved in raids across western Russia, many targeting power and oil facilities.
Local officials claimed that air defence systems had destroyed one drone that had attempted to strike the nuclear power plant in the western region of Smolensk.
“According to preliminary information, one of the drones was shot down during an attempt to attack a nuclear power facility,” Governor Vasily Anokhin said on the Telegram messaging app. “There were no casualties or damage.”
The Smolensk Nuclear Power Plant, the largest power generating plant in Russia’s northwest, was working normally on Wednesday morning, RIA state news agency reported, citing the plant’s press service.
Petrochemicals giant Sibur reported a fire at its oil refinery in the Nizhny Novgorod region about 800km (500 miles) from the Ukrainian border.
Russia’s air defences reportedly destroyed drones over nine regions, including 11 over Smolensk, which sits on the border with Belarus. Nearly half were hit over Kursk, where Ukrainian troops have occupied several villages for months following an incursion.
Ukraine and Russia have been swapping drone and missile strikes on an almost daily basis, with energy infrastructure a particular target amid winter.
Warnings that the fighting could spark a nuclear disaster have been sounded since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of its neighbour in February 2022. However, most of the concern has focused on Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia plant, which sits on the frontlines in the east of the country.
Ukraine’s military said on Wednesday that Russia launched an overnight drone attack of its own, resulting in air alerts in multiple regions.
A port in the Odesa region was reportedly targeted, while debris from a destroyed drone fell near a metro station in the capital, Kyiv, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko.
Prospects for peace talks
Amid the continuing air attacks, the return of Donald Trump as United States president has revived rhetoric over the possibility of a ceasefire.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that his country could hold peace talks with Ukraine, but ruled out speaking directly with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“If (Zelenskyy) wants to participate in the negotiations, I will allocate people to take part,” Putin said, calling the Ukrainian leader “illegitimate” because his presidential term expired during martial law.
“If there is a desire to negotiate and find a compromise, let anyone lead the negotiations there … Naturally, we will strive for what suits us, what corresponds to our interests,” he added.
Today, Putin once again confirmed that he is afraid of negotiations, afraid of strong leaders, and does everything possible to prolong the war. Every move he makes and all his cynical tricks are aimed at making the war endless.
In 2014, Russia started a hybrid war against…
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) January 28, 2025
Zelenskky responded by saying Putin was frustrating efforts to stop the fighting.
“Today, Putin once again confirmed that he is afraid of negotiations, afraid of strong leaders and does everything possible to prolong the war,” Zelenskyy posted on X.
Kyiv has warned against it being excluded from any peace talks between Russia and the US, accusing Putin of wanting to “manipulate” Trump.
In a recent development in the Russia-Ukraine war, Russia has claimed that one of its nuclear power plants was targeted during a massive drone attack by Ukrainian forces. The attack reportedly took place on Saturday, causing concern about the safety of the plant and potential environmental consequences.The Russian government has accused Ukraine of using drones to target the plant, which is located in the city of Beloyarsk in the Ural Mountains. The plant is said to have sustained damage, but no radiation leaks have been reported so far.
Ukrainian officials have denied the allegations, stating that they have no intention of targeting nuclear facilities. They have called the accusations “provocative” and “baseless.”
The incident has raised fears about the escalation of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, as targeting a nuclear power plant could have catastrophic consequences. Both sides have been urged to exercise restraint and work towards a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story.
Tags:
- Russia-Ukraine war
- Ukrainian drone attack
- Nuclear plant attack
- Russia claims
- Russia-Ukraine conflict
- War news
- Nuclear plant targeting
- Ukraine-Russia relations
- Military drone strike
- International conflict
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US nuclear fusion start-up backed by Sam Altman and Peter Thiel secures $425mn
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A US start-up whose backers include tech billionaires Sam Altman and Peter Thiel has raised $425mn to keep it on track to achieve its target of producing electricity from nuclear fusion in 2028.
Helion has the most ambitious timeline among start-ups racing to develop nuclear fusion, a long sought-after technology that combines hydrogen atoms to form helium atoms and release a significant amount of energy.
Venture capital firm Lightspeed and SoftBank’s second Vision Fund are the investors joining OpenAI boss Altman, Thiel’s Mithril Capital and steel company Nucor in backing Helion. The start-up has now raised more than $1bn and has a valuation of $5.4bn, including the latest fundraising round.
Nuclear fusion is carbon-free and creates no long-lived radioactive waste, but scientists have only been able to sustain a reaction for short periods of time. Earlier this month, Chinese scientists set a new record of 1,066 seconds in a reactor in Hefei, according to state media.
Helion has a contract to start supplying Microsoft with electricity produced from its fusion system in 2028, and the new funds would put it “on course” to achieve the goal, said chief executive David Kirtley. The company also has an agreement to build a 500MW power plant for Nucor.
Kirtley said the money would be spent on manufacturing pulse capacitors, an important component of its Polaris reactor in the US.
He said: “The capacitor is where about a third of the cost of the whole system goes, and about 85 per cent of Polaris’ capacitors were built overseas. We bought them and waited several years to get them in-house.”
Kirtley added: “We are now the first US manufacturer of large-scale pulse capacitors in decades, and we are going to expand that. So rather than waiting three years, we could get them in a year or less.”
He said Polaris, the company’s seventh-generation reactor, was “in operation” but declined to share details about its results.
“We have a technology that can be built, built quickly and iterated upon, especially relative to other fusion,” he said, adding that Helion’s design was “smaller, cheaper, easier to build and with less concrete”.
The remaining challenges for the start-up lie on the regulatory side, where Helion needs state permits to deploy power plants, and on squeezing more efficiency from its engineering, he said.
Kirtley added that “it would not change anything” if the development of AI, a vital driver for investment into energy companies, turns out to be less power intensive than estimated.
“There is a huge need [for baseload power] even more than we thought before. So if that extra need is a little bit less, that is OK too,” he said.
Exciting News: US Nuclear Fusion Start-up Raises $425mn with Support from Sam Altman and Peter ThielIn a groundbreaking development for the energy sector, a US-based nuclear fusion start-up has secured a whopping $425 million in funding, with prominent investors Sam Altman and Peter Thiel backing the initiative. This significant investment is a testament to the potential of nuclear fusion as a clean and sustainable energy source for the future.
Nuclear fusion, often dubbed as the “holy grail” of energy production, holds the promise of unlimited, carbon-free energy generation. By replicating the process that powers the sun, nuclear fusion has the potential to revolutionize the way we produce electricity and reduce our reliance on fossil fuels.
With the support of seasoned investors like Sam Altman and Peter Thiel, this nuclear fusion start-up is poised to accelerate its research and development efforts, bringing us one step closer to harnessing the power of the stars here on Earth. Stay tuned for more updates on this exciting journey towards a cleaner and greener future. #NuclearFusion #CleanEnergy #Innovation #SustainableFuture
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- US nuclear fusion start-up
- Sam Altman
- Peter Thiel
- $425mn funding
- nuclear energy
- clean energy
- renewable energy
- sustainable technology
- fusion power
- energy innovation
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BESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 2,324, January 14, 2025
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Israel faces a critical strategic decision regarding Iran’s nuclear program. The Islamic Republic is accelerating its enrichment capabilities and is systematically approaching the threshold of nuclear breakout. At issue is whether to strike Iran’s nuclear infrastructure immediately, leveraging Iran’s degraded air defenses and regional setbacks during the “lame duck” period of the current Biden administration, or wait for a potential alignment with the incoming Trump administration, which could bring enhanced diplomatic and military support. Both options carry significant potential risks and benefits.
Iran’s nuclear program is advancing rapidly. According to the Institute for Science and International Security’s November 21 report, Iran has enough uranium to further enrich to weapons-grade uranium for 10 nuclear weapons within a month, and for 16 bombs within five months. Furthermore, Iran could produce 25 kilograms of weapons-grade uranium – the amount required for one bomb – in as little as one week.
These alarming timelines, coupled with Iran’s diminished air defenses and lack of any substantial regional active proxy at this time that it can activate against Israel with the exception of the Houthis in Yemen, present a rare strategic window for preemptive action following Israel’s recent military achievements against Hamas and Hezbollah and the fall of the Assad regime.
Delaying action risks that Iran will continue to creep toward the nuclear threshold and potentially take secret breakout action, which would fundamentally alter the region’s balance of power. With its proxy agenda in ruins, Iran’s weakened regime may be tempted to fall back on its nuclear program as an “immortality potion” against external threats.
A nuclear-armed Iran would quickly embark on a program to rebuild its shattered proxies and reconstruct the Iranian ring of fire around Israel while bullying Sunni powers into submission and seeking to destabilize them. A nuclear Iran would likely shield its proxies and allies, especially Hezbollah, under a nuclear umbrella. Striking now would prevent this scenario while Iran’s proxy networks remain severely weakened.
Following significant setbacks to Iran’s air defenses and missile production infrastructure in Israel’s October 26 strikes, Iran is currently extremely vulnerable. Israel achieved near-uncontested aerial supremacy in Iranian skies during the October 26 strikes, demonstrating the feasibility of further operations.
A swift, decisive strike may outpace international responses or potential restrictions from the incoming Trump administration, allowing Israel to maintain operational independence.
On the other hand, a unilateral Israeli strike might trigger prolonged missile exchanges with Iran itself, in a continuation of the long-range firepower exchanges of blows between Tehran and Jerusalem.
In addition, it could be argued that acting without the explicit backing of the United States or other allies may strain diplomatic ties and limit Israel’s ability to mitigate fallout from the strike. Should Iran choose to disrupt the global energy market, the fallout would be even more severe.
The incoming Trump administration, set to assume power on January 20, offers Israel a determined partner for addressing Iran’s nuclear threat. President Trump has historically favored a hardline, maximum pressure stance on Iran, and his administration is likely to pursue aggressive policies, including reimposing maximum pressure sanctions and bolstering military cooperation with Israel.
As such, those arguing to hold off on strikes point out that Trump’s administration may provide diplomatic cover for future Israeli strikes, shielding it from international condemnation and facilitating follow-up measures.
Furthermore, the Trump administration could expedite the delivery of critical military assets that would improve the quality of Israeli strikes, such as F-15IA fighter jets and KC-46A refueling tankers, enhancing Israel’s operational long-range capabilities for sustained action against Iran.
A joint approach with the US would amplify the effectiveness of economic, diplomatic, and military measures against Iran, creating a comprehensive campaign to halt its nuclear ambitions.
With US backing, Israel could deter retaliation from Iran’s proxies, as Tehran would face the prospect of direct US involvement in any escalation.
And yet, delaying action risks Iran’s once again using negotiations as a cover to legitimize its nuclear program and achieve breakout later on as it advances the program to the point where it would be significantly more difficult to neutralize.
Iran’s increasingly advanced centrifuges in operation in Natanz and Fordow make daily progress toward enriching uranium to the 60% level, and it is no major step to go from there to military-grade uranium. By some estimates, Iran is six months away from a crude nuclear device and around 18 months away from an operational nuclear warhead that it can install on a delivery mechanism (missiles).
The Trump administration may initially prioritize diplomatic engagement or prefer to focus on challenges from Russia and China, creating delays or limiting operational scope.
Iran’s current vulnerabilities may diminish over time as it repairs its defenses and missile infrastructure. A delayed strike could face greater resistance and higher operational risks.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has consistently emphasized the centrality and existential nature of Iran’s nuclear threat, warning that failure to address it would exacerbate other security challenges. While recent strikes demonstrated Israel’s operational capabilities, the question of timing remains pivotal.
If Iran’s nuclear advancements continue unchecked, Israel risks facing a fait accompli – a nuclear Iran that begins rebuilding its path toward its ambition of Israel’s collapse by the year 2040, as the infamous clock in Tehran indicates.
At the same time, waiting for American diplomatic and potential military support could lead to a better strike opportunity.
Israel’s choice between striking Iran’s nuclear program before January 20 or waiting for Trump’s second term presents no easy answers. Immediate action offers a chance to neutralize an existential threat while Iran is vulnerable but carries the risks of escalation, isolation, and limited international support. Waiting suggests stronger diplomatic and military backing but risks Iran’s advancing its nuclear capabilities beyond the point of no return.
Israel must weigh these factors carefully. And while the decision must be heavily influenced by intelligence on the real-time status of Iran’s nuclear program, Israeli decision makers must take into account the danger of unknown unknowns when it comes to Iran’s nuclear program.
Yaakov Lappin is an Israel-based military affairs correspondent and analyst. He provides insight and analysis for a number of media outlets, including Jane’s Defense Weekly and JNS.org.
As tensions continue to rise between the United States and Iran, the question on many people’s minds is whether or not the US should strike Iran’s nuclear program before President-elect Joe Biden takes office on January 20. The Trump administration has been ramping up pressure on Iran, imposing new sanctions and reportedly considering military action.Some argue that a preemptive strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities is necessary to prevent the country from developing nuclear weapons, which could pose a serious threat to the region and beyond. They point to Iran’s history of supporting terrorism and destabilizing the Middle East as reasons to take action now.
Others, however, caution against rushing into military action, warning that it could escalate tensions further and lead to a broader conflict. They argue that diplomacy and negotiations should be the primary focus, and that a strike on Iran’s nuclear program could have devastating consequences.
The decision on whether or not to strike Iran’s nuclear program before January 20 is a complex and weighty one, with potentially far-reaching implications. It is a decision that will likely be debated and scrutinized in the coming days and weeks as the Trump administration’s term comes to an end.
Tags:
- Iran nuclear program
- Strike on Iran
- January 20 deadline
- US-Iran relations
- Military intervention
- Nuclear proliferation
- International diplomacy
- Middle East conflict
- National security concerns
- Preemptive strike
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Biden ‘discussed plans to strike Iran nuclear sites before Trump inauguration’
Joe Biden reportedly discussed plans to strike Iran’s nuclear sites in the event Tehran moved closer to building a nuclear bomb before Donald Trump’s inauguration on Jan 20.
The US president, who has just weeks left in office, was presented with a range of scenarios by Jake Sullivan, the White House’s national security adviser, in secret talks which took place last month, US officials told Axios.
The purpose of the meeting was not for Mr Biden to reach a definitive decision but rather to engage in “prudent scenario planning,” one of the sources said.
It comes after Mr Sullivan said last month he had briefed Mr Trump on the “risk” of Tehran obtaining nuclear weapons.
Mr Biden is said to have engaged in discussions about how the US should respond if Iran took specific steps towards building a nuclear bomb before Jan 20, including by enriching uranium to 90 per cent purity.
The president reportedly asked whether Iran had taken any such steps that would justify an urgent military response just weeks before Mr Trump took office and which would risk handing over a fresh conflict for him to deal with.
Mr Biden did not reach a definitive conclusion and there are no active discussions inside the White House about taking military action against Iran, the US officials reportedly said.
Jake Sullivan, the White House’s national security adviser, reportedly took part in the secret talks with the US president last month – ABIR SULTAN/via REUTERS
Mr Sullivan warned in December last year that there was an increased risk that Iran might abandon its promise not to build nuclear weapons.
“It’s a risk we are trying to be vigilant about now. It’s a risk that I’m personally briefing the incoming team on,” Mr Sullivan said, adding that he had consulted with US ally Israel.
He said that given Iran’s “weakened state”, Mr Trump could also persuade Iran to commit to dismantling its nuclear capacity.
The president-elect is reportedly considering airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities when he returns to the White House later this month.
Mr Trump has told Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, in recent calls that he is concerned about Iran achieving nuclear capability, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Marco Rubio and Mike Waltz, Mr Trump’s nominees for secretary of state and national security adviser, have consistently taken hardline stances on Iran.
Mr Netanyahu has long called for Iran’s nuclear programme to be stopped in its tracks but has faced resistance from Israeli military officials and Washington.
In a shocking revelation, it has been reported that President-elect Joe Biden allegedly discussed plans to strike Iran’s nuclear sites before the inauguration of President Trump. The discussions reportedly took place during a meeting with national security officials, where Biden expressed concerns about Iran’s nuclear capabilities and the need for decisive action.This news has sparked intense debate and speculation about the incoming administration’s foreign policy approach towards Iran. While some argue that preemptive strikes may be necessary to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, others warn of the potential consequences of such a move, including escalating tensions in the region and risking a full-scale conflict.
As Biden prepares to take office, the world is watching closely to see how his administration will navigate the complex and volatile situation in the Middle East. Stay tuned for updates on this developing story.
Tags:
- Biden administration
- Iran nuclear sites
- Trump inauguration
- Military strike
- Biden foreign policy
- Iran nuclear deal
- International relations
- Middle East tensions
- United States military
- Biden administration plans
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How To Survive A Freakin’ Nuclear War: A Crash Course on Surviving Nuclear War and Guerilla Warfare
Price: $4.99
(as of Dec 29,2024 15:30:14 UTC – Details)
ASIN : B0CN5N5SDB
Publication date : November 11, 2023
Language : English
File size : 7229 KB
Text-to-Speech : Enabled
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Print length : 166 pages
Page numbers source ISBN : 1648451136
In a world where the threat of nuclear war looms large, it’s important to be prepared for the worst-case scenario. While the thought of a nuclear war may be terrifying, there are steps you can take to increase your chances of survival. In this crash course, we’ll cover some key strategies for surviving a nuclear war and engaging in guerilla warfare if necessary.1. Have a Plan: The key to surviving a nuclear war is preparation. Make a plan with your family or group on where to meet in case of an emergency, how to communicate, and what supplies you’ll need to survive. Stock up on food, water, medical supplies, and other essentials.
2. Find Shelter: In the event of a nuclear attack, seek shelter immediately. Ideally, you should find a sturdy, underground shelter to protect yourself from radiation and fallout. If you don’t have access to a shelter, find the most secure building you can and take cover in the basement or an interior room.
3. Protect Yourself from Radiation: If you have been exposed to radiation, it’s important to take steps to protect yourself. Remove contaminated clothing, wash yourself thoroughly with soap and water, and take potassium iodide tablets if available to protect your thyroid from radiation exposure.
4. Engage in Guerilla Warfare: In the aftermath of a nuclear war, the world may be a dangerous and lawless place. If you find yourself in a situation where you need to defend yourself or your group, consider engaging in guerilla warfare tactics. This may include ambushes, sabotage, and hit-and-run attacks on enemy forces.
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Remember, surviving a nuclear war and engaging in guerilla warfare is not easy, but with proper preparation and a strong survival mindset, you can increase your chances of making it through even the most harrowing of situations. Stay strong, stay vigilant, and never give up hope. Good luck and stay safe.
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