“Everything depends only on the wind”
Zelenskyj: A nuclear catastrophe could also affect the EU
08/16/2022 06:43 am
Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, Zaporizhia, has been under fire for days. President Zelenskyy warns of the consequences that would go far beyond Ukraine. “If the world doesn’t have the strength and determination now to protect a nuclear facility, it means the world is losing.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has again urged Russia to withdraw its soldiers from the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant. He once again warned of the consequences of a possible nuclear catastrophe. “Any radioactive incident at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant could also become a blow to the countries of the European Union and Turkey and Georgia and the countries of more distant regions,” said the head of state in a video message distributed in Kyiv. “Everything depends only on the direction and strength of the wind,” Zelensky said.
Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, occupied by Russia, has been under fire for days. Ukraine and Russia blame each other for this. Zelenskyy said that Russia had to withdraw from the power plant without conditions. At the same time, he reiterated his demands from the weekend for sanctions against the Russian nuclear company Rosatom and the entire nuclear industry of the “terrorist state”.
The international community must act, he stressed. “If the world doesn’t muster the strength and determination now to protect a nuclear facility, it means the world will lose,” Zelensky said. It is about protection against radioactive contamination. According to the crew representatives, no increased radiation levels have been measured so far.
Kyiv speaks of “nuclear terror”
Ukraine accuses Russia of “nuclear terrorism” with the shelling. Occupation representative Vladimir Rogov said Ukrainian “terrorists” fired the shots. He had also proposed a cease-fire. However, Russia refuses to hand over the nuclear power plant. According to its own statements, Kyiv has already attacked the power plant site with combat drones.
Ukraine has accused Russian troops of using the nuclear power plant as a fortress to fire on the small towns of Nikopol and Marhanets across the Dnipro Dam. Russia, on the other hand, claims that Ukraine is shelling the facility with drones, heavy artillery and rocket launchers. In most cases, the Russian air defense intercepts the projectiles, it said. Nevertheless, infrastructure has already been hit in the area of the nuclear waste storage facility there. According to experts, increased radioactivity has not yet been registered.
The UN had previously denied Russian allegations. Contrary to what Moscow has said, the United Nations would have neither prevented nor blocked an operation by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). “The UN Secretariat has no authority to block or cancel activities of the IAEA,” said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric. The IAEA acts independently.
Meanwhile, the UN chief and Russia’s defense minister also spoke on the phone about the power plant. Dujarric stressed that Ukraine could protect an IAEA mission from Ukrainian controlled territory. Nevertheless, there must be an agreement between Russia and Ukraine, after all the power plant is currently on Russian-controlled territory.
Recently there had been disagreements about how the IAEA experts’ itinerary could look like. Ukraine would not allow a mission solely through Russian-held territory, such as through Crimea or through any other route across the Russian-Ukrainian border.