Ukraine and Russia trade accusations of targeting a nuclear power plant

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia and Ukraine are trading fresh accusations over renewed threats to Europe’s largest nuclear plant that has been caught up in the war. Moscow alleges Ukraine was behind drone attacks on the facility that were witnessed by U.N. inspectors. Kyiv, meanwhile, accuses Russia of disinformation tactics. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Monday called the drone attacks on the plant, in Russia-occupied southern Ukraine, “a very dangerous provocation.” The U.N.’s atomic watchdog agency on Sunday confirmed drone strikes on one of the plant’s six reactors, but did not attribute responsibility to either side. An official at Energoatom, Ukraine’s atomic energy company, blamed Russia for the attacks, saying they were “a provocation” orchestrated to malign Ukraine.

Ethnic guerrillas in Myanmar look set to seize an important town

BANGKOK (AP) — Guerrilla fighters from Myanmar’s Karen ethnic minority are claiming to be close to seizing control of a major trading town bordering Thailand. Soldiers and civil servants loyal to the military government appear to be preparing to abandon their positions. A spokesperson and members of the Karen National Union said Monday that their occupation of Myawaddy town appears imminent after the guerrillas seized or besieged strategic army outposts on the town’s outskirts. Myawaddy is Myanmar’s most active trading post with Thailand, and its fall would be the latest in a series of shock defeats recently suffered by the army since it seized power from a democratically elected government in 2021.

Iran’s foreign minister accuses US of giving Israel ‘green light’ to attack

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Iran’s foreign minister has accused the United States of giving Israel the “green light” for a strike on its consulate building in Syria that killed seven Iranian military officials, including two generals. Hossein Amirabdollahian reiterated Tehran’s vows that it will respond to the attack, widely blamed on Israel, that appeared to signify an escalation of Israel’s targeting of military officials from Iran, which supports militant groups fighting Israel in Gaza, and along its border with Lebanon.

Russians stage a rare protest after a dam bursts and homes flood

(AP) — Russians in the city of Orsk gathered in a rare protest Monday calling for compensation following the collapse of a dam and subsequent flooding in the Orenburg region near the border with Kazakhstan. The protests were an unusual sight in Russia, where authorities have consistently cracked down on any form of dissent following President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Hundreds of people gathered in front of the administrative building in Orsk Monday, Russian state news agency Tass said while videos shared on Russian social media channels showed people chanting “Putin, help us,” and “shame.”