NATO says Ukraine’s victory over Russia remains priority

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says Ukrainian victory over Russia remains the alliance’s priority.
World Bank says it will support Ukraine by conducting a rapid assessment of damage and needs after the destruction of a huge hydroelectric dam.China says joint air patrols with Russia not targeted at certain countries
China’s foreign ministry says joint patrols with Russia are not targeted at certain countries and conform with international law and norms.

Beijing and Moscow conducted a joint air patrol on Tuesday over the Sea of Japan and East China Sea for a sixth time since 2019, prompting neighbouring South Korea and Japan to scramble fighter jets.WATCH: Is the war in Ukraine entering a critical stage or a new phase?
New fronts are developing in the Ukraine war. Anti-Kremlin armed groups are launching attacks in border regions while drone and artillery strikes are taking place further into Russian territory.

Civilians in both countries are bearing the brunt as the war drags on.

Do the latest military developments indicate the war has entered a critical stage? Or is it just another phase, with no end in sight?

Watch this Inside Story episode for more on where the war is heading.

Flooding extends to over 600sq km after dam breach, says Ukraine
Flooding from the Nova Kakhovka dam breach extends to more than 600 square kilometres (232 square miles) on the Ukrainian-held right bank of the Dnipro and the Russian-held left bank, according to the region’s governor.

“The average level of flooding is 5.61 metre [18.4 feet]. Six hundred square kilometres [232 square miles] of the Kherson region are underwater, of which 32 percent is the right bank and 68 percent is the left bank,” Oleksandr Prokudin, the governor of Kherson, said, adding that “despite the danger and heavy Russian shelling, the evacuation from the flooded area continues.”

Prokudin said the situation in Russian-held areas was “extremely difficult”.

UN watchdog to rotate inspectors at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant: RIA
Chief of the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Grossi says the watchdog intends to rotate inspectors at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant next week, Russian state-owned news agency RIA Novosti reported.

Grossi said the plans must be agreed with Russian and Ukrainian authorities, RIA Novosti added. Currently, the plant is operated by Ukrainian staff, but Russian military units guard the facility.

The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is the largest in Europe and among the 10 biggest in the world. It generates half of Ukraine’s nuclear-derived power.

Russia occupied the plant shortly after invading Ukraine on February 24.