War in Ukraine: Volodymyr Zelensky accuses Moscow of resorting to “nuclear terror”


The Ukrainian president reacted on Friday to the Russian bombardment on the site of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, fearing a disaster.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday March 4 accused Moscow of resorting to “nuclear terrorafter the bombing of a building on the site of an atomic power plant in central Ukraine, and called for “immediate European action” for “prevent Europe from dying from a nuclear disaster“.

We alert everyone to the fact that no other country except Russia has ever fired on nuclear power plants. This is the first time in our history, the first time in the history of mankind. This Terrorist State Now Uses Nuclear Terror“, he said in a video published by the Ukrainian presidency. “Ukraine has fifteen nuclear reactors. If there’s an explosion, it’s the end of everything. The end of Europe. This is the evacuation of Europe“, he continued. And to add:Only immediate European action can stop the Russian troops. We must prevent Europe from dying of a nuclear disaster“.

According to Kiev, a Russian bombardment hit in the early hours of Friday the atomic power plant of Zaporizhzhia, the largest in Europe, located in central Ukraine and which has six reactors. According to Zelensky, Russian tanks opened fire on the plant. “These tanks are equipped with thermal sights so they know what they are doing, they were prepared.” A fire then broke out in a “training building” and a laboratory on the site, but the nuclear security of the latter is for the time being “assured“Said the Ukrainian authorities. At 5:50 a.m. local time (3:50 a.m. GMT), the Ukrainian emergency services indicated that the fire continued to ravage this building over an area of ​​2000 m². They claimed to have finally been able to intervene at dawn, after having, according to them, been deprived of access to the site by Russian troops.

SEE ALSO – War in Ukraine: Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe, bombed by Russia

“Essential” equipment not affected

According to Ukrainian relief, around forty firefighters and ten vehicles are involved in the operation. In addition, no victim is to be deplored for the time being, according to this source. Radioactivity levels remain unchanged at the plant site and the fire did not affect the equipment “essentials“Said the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), citing the Ukrainian nuclear regulator.

On February 24, fighting had already taken place near the former Chernobyl power plant, about a hundred kilometers north of Kiev, which is now in the hands of Russian troops. “Hundreds of thousands of people suffered the consequences (of Chernobyl), tens of thousands were evacuated. Russia wants to repeat this, and is already repeating this“, said Friday Volodymyr Zelesnky.



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