(Kyiv) A “disaster” at the Russian-controlled Zaporozhzhya nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine would threaten the whole of Europe, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned on Monday.
Posted at 6:42 p.m.
“From the shelter of the station, the occupiers bombard nearby towns and communities,” Mr. Zelensky charged in his Monday evening address.
PHOTO ALEXANDER ERMOCHENKO, REUTERS ARCHIVES
A Russian soldier in front of the Zaporozhzhya nuclear power plant
“Any radioactive incident at the Zaporozhzhya nuclear power plant can strike a blow to European Union countries, Turkey, Georgia, and countries in more distant regions. It all depends on the direction and strength of the wind,” the Ukrainian president continued.
“If Russia’s actions lead to a catastrophe, the consequences could hit those who remain silent for now,” he warned.
He called on the international community to adopt “tough new sanctions against Russia” and not to “give in to nuclear blackmail”. “All Russian forces must immediately withdraw from the station and surrounding areas without any conditions,” he said.
The Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe, was taken in early March by Russian troops, at the start of their invasion of Ukraine launched on February 24.
Since the end of July, several strikes, of which the two parties accuse each other, have targeted the site, raising fears of a nuclear disaster and provoking a meeting of the UN Security Council last week.