Russia urged to withdraw forces from Ukrainian nuclear power plant; Putin turns to North Korea for friendship

Western countries have called on Russia to immediately withdraw its military forces from the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant amid continuing fears over its fate, with both sides accusing each other of shelling the facility.

The U.S., U.K., EU and other countries issued a statement on Sunday urging Russia to withdraw its troops from Europe's largest nuclear power plant, saying their presence there "poses a great danger" to international tenets regarding nuclear safety and security.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly sent a message of friendship to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in which he expressed his wish for Russia and North Korea to deepen relations.

North Korea's state media outlet KCNA reported on Sunday that Putin had sent the North Korean leader a congratulatory telegram for North Korea's Liberation Day, on Monday, in which he expressed a will to "continue to expand the comprehensive and constructive bilateral relations" between the countries.