Russians attack a nuclear complex Did someone forward you this newsletter? Sign up here to get it delivered weekday mornings. Russian forces shelled a huge Ukrainian nuclear plant early Friday, setting a building ablaze, AP reports. Plant spokesman Andriy Tuz told Ukrainian television that shells were falling directly on the Zaporizhzhia plant in the city of Enerhodar and had set fire to one of the facility's six reactors. That reactor is under renovation and not operating, but there is nuclear fuel inside, he said. A government official told The Associated Press that elevated levels of radiation were detected near the plant, which provides about 25% of Ukraine's power generation. The International Atomic Energy Agency said later it believed levels were normal, and nuclear power experts said on Twitter that while the situation is grave, there is no reason to immediately expect a Chernobyl-style disaster. Volodymyr Zelensky discussed the incident in calls with Justin Trudeau and Joe Biden Thursday night. "These unacceptable attacks by Russia must cease immediately," Trudeau tweeted after the call. No to no-fly: Melanie Joly, fresh from a trip to Poland, told the Star's editorial board Thursday that Vladimir Putin's irrationality means a no-fly zone is not in the cards. âThere are still lots of things on the tableâ to respond to Russiaâs aggression and to exert âmaximumâ pressure on Putin, she said. âBut at the same time, we need to make sure that weâre not triggering an international conflict, right? So that is for all of us and including President Biden, the red line.â More sanctions: Canada stripped Russia and Belarus of favoured nation trading status on Thursday, Politico reports. âWe are working closely with our partners and allies to encourage them to take the same step,â (Chrystia) Freeland said. Her office confirmed the government can unilaterally revoke status benefits without having to go through Parliament. Trade between Canada and Russia is relatively low with both exports and imports falling over the past decade. The value of Russian imports hovered around C$930 million in 2016, according to government data. Desert: In MacLean's, Scott Gilmore proposes implementing a million-carrot strategy to try to motivate Russians to abandon Putin. Even if each deserting Russian soldier was offered a huge bounty, say $100,000, it would still be incredibly cost effective when you weigh it against the price of supporting a protracted war, or the cost in men and material to remove that soldier from the battlefield in the traditional fashion. Poorer billionaires: In the Globe, Eric Reguly has an interesting story about the plight of Russian oligarchs, whose fortunes are rapidly shrinking. For them, the good times have been replaced with dread. The era of the oligarch â whose dominant characteristic is obscene wealth collected after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 â seems close to ending. Their wealth is disappearing at what, to them, must be an alarming rate. An analysis by Forbes magazine suggested that 116 Russian billionaires have lost US$126-billion of wealth since Feb. 16, a week before the invasion, partly owing to the stunning collapse of the ruble. It fell 30 per cent against the U.S. dollar on Monday alone, when the Russian central bank doubled interests rates to 20 per cent in an attempt to stabilize the shell-shocked currency. Visa relief: Immigration minister Sean Fraser announced Thursday that an "unlimited number" of Ukrainians will be able to enter Canada under a new pathway for people fleeing the war. The CBC reports: To start, Fraser said his department has created a new visa category that will allow a limitless number of Ukrainians to come to Canada to live, work or study here for up to two years. People accepted under the Canada Ukraine Authorization For Emergency Travel program will have an open work or study permit and employers will be free to hire as many Ukrainians as they want. Not strong: Longtime CBC defence reporter Murray Brewster has a good breakdown of shortcomings in the Canadian Armed Forces, as regards armed force, which suddenly seems more relevant. The Canadian Army, for example, has no dedicated air defence to keep soldiers on the ground safe from attack helicopters and fighter-bombers. As former army commander and now chief of the defence staff Gen. Wayne Eyre told CBC News two years ago, Canada relies on its allies for that kind of protection. According to several defence analysts, Canada's four-decade old CF-18s would be vulnerable to Russia's modern S-400 Triumf air defence system. The Royal Canadian Navy, with its newly modernized frigates, is hamstrung when it comes to forming task forces because its dedicated replenishment ship has little in the way of defensive systems needed for a war zone. A tough battle: Jean Charest tells the Globe's Bob Fife that he is ready for a "tough battle" for the leadership of the CPC. Charest, former Progressive Conservative deputy prime minister and Liberal premier of Quebec, says he hasn't quite made up his mind, but he is talking like a candidate: âI am going to be running as a Conservative. I am not trying to run as a red Tory. I know this country very well ⦠and we deserve better and we can do better and we will do better and that is what I want to bring to the country.â Poilievre attacks: In an interview with the Post's Catherine Lévesque, Pierre Poilievre, the only declared candidate, attacked Charest for his record on taxes: âI think itâs an honest policy difference. I support lower taxes on consumers. He has a record of raising taxes on consumers. He raised taxes on fuel. He raised the sales tax, and he made life more expensive for people when he was a provincial Liberal premier. I did the opposite. My record is that I voted to cut the GST, not raise it.â OK with KKK: Spokespeople for GiveSendGo â which raised money in Canada and abroad for the Freedom Convoy â told MPs on Thursday that the outfit would agree to raise money for the KKK. Liberal MP Pam Damoff grilled the pair, asking them about the company's decision to host fundraising campaigns for members of the Proud Boys â which has been listed as a terrorist entity in Canada â and other groups that have promoted Islamophobia or white supremacy. "I just wonder how you can justify giving people like that a platform to raise funds?" she asked. "Would you allow a fundraiser on your platform for the Ku Klux Klan?" "If the fundraising activity was legal and it was legally authorized to ... happen, we would allow people to fundraise," Wells replied, adding the fundraiser would have to pass the company's checks. Elliott to exit: Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott will announce today that she is stepping down and will not run in the June 2 election, CBC reports. Hillier also: Independent MPP Randy Hillier, who was recently barred from speaking in the Legislature because of racist remarks and spreading COVID misinformation, has announced he will not run for re-election in June, CTV reports. That took a while: In Maclean's, Paul Wells has an interesting if somewhat glum column about the curious history of the Canada Digital Adoption Programâwhich the Liberals announced with much fanfare, but then took a long time to roll out, and which may end up being more or less useless. Ottawa is a city, Wells writes, where often "the last good day for a government program is the day itâs announced." âStephen Maher | 