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Shells, strikes and a widening diplomatic rift
Summary
A look back at a day of nuclear-plant shelling, civilian deaths and regional realignment during the war in Ukraine.
What did 11 August 2022 show about how far the war had spread beyond the front line? In one day, shells struck Europe's attention at a nuclear site, while two Baltic states stepped away from a diplomatic forum with China.
Shelling at Zaporizhzhia
At least ten shells hit the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast on 11 August 2022. The attack damaged an office building and the plant's fire station. Russia and Ukraine each blamed the other for the shelling.
Strikes on civilians and a base in Crimea
The days before were also violent. On 10 August, a Russian missile strike in Nikopol Raion, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, killed at least 13 civilians and injured 11 others. On 9 August, multiple explosions were reported at a Russian military air base near Novofedorivka in western Crimea. Crimean authorities said at least one person was killed and six were injured. The incident was described in the context of Ukraine's summer counteroffensive.
Consequences beyond Ukraine
The war's reach was visible in diplomacy and recruitment as well. On 11 August, Estonia and Latvia formally withdrew from the Cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European Countries group. The withdrawal came amid tensions with China over its human rights record and its support of Russia's war on Ukraine.
On 10 August, Uzbekistan's embassy in Russia warned its citizens not to join Russian forces invading Ukraine. It said those who did so would face criminal liability for mercenaryism on returning to Uzbekistan.
What the day tied together
Taken together, the events show the conflict acting on several levels at once: danger at a nuclear facility, deadly strikes on civilians in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, a reported attack in Crimea, and governments in the Baltic region and Central Asia adjusting their positions. Estonia and Latvia tied their exit from the China-linked group directly to Beijing's support of Russia's war. Uzbekistan's warning set out legal consequences for its citizens who fought for Russia.
