Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky accused Moscow on Friday of resorting to “nuclear terror” after the fire caused by a Russian attack on Europe’s largest nuclear power plant. which, however, did not experience an increase in radiation levels.
After a few hours of alarm, in which Kiev warned of a possible disaster “ten times larger than Chernobyl”, the Ukrainian relief services were able to extinguish the flames that did not affect secondary facilities.
(Due to the public interest that the events between Russia and Ukraine arouse, all our coverage of that invasion and related actions will have free access for all readers of EL TIEMPO)
At the beginning of the second week of the invasion, Russia intensified its bombardments, which caused numerous civilian casualties and material damage. The prospect of a ceasefire seems remote and, in a second round of negotiations, both sides only agreed to create humanitarian corridors.
Apparently slowed down in Kiev and in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city in the northeast, the invasion is progressing in the south. There, Russian attacks caused a fire at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, located about 150 km north of the Crimean peninsula that Moscow annexed in 2014.
“No other country except Russia has ever fired on nuclear power plants (…) This terrorist state now resorts to nuclear terror“Ukrainian President Zelensky said in a video.
(Also read: Video: fire at nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine due to Russian attack)
Zelensky went to Europe this Friday to ask him to “wake up already” in the face of Russia’s “nuclear terrorism”, after accusing Russian forces of attacking the nuclear power plant, which would have caused a disconnection of the nuclear reactors.
The president addressed all Ukrainians and Europeans, who, he said, perfectly know the word “Chernobyl”, referring to the biggest nuclear catastrophe in history that occurred on April 26, 1986.
“Russia wants to repeat this and is repeating it, but six more times,” he said, referring to the number of units at the Energodar nuclear power plant in the Zaporizhia region.
No other country except Russia has ever fired on nuclear power plants
He also assured that it was Russian tanks that opened fire.
“These tanks are equipped with thermal sights, so they know what they are doing, they were prepared,” he said.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) indicated that the radiation levels of the place were not altered and the fire did not reach the “essential” equipment, but warned of the “serious danger” of that attack.
(You can read: Ukraine after a week of Russian invasion: see before and after photos)
A security camera is broadcasting live the fighting to take over Europe’s largest nuclear plant from
Zaporizhia in Energodar (Ukraine). pic.twitter.com/vsCrEh9lL1— NIPORWIFI © (@niporwifi) March 3, 2022
possible nuclear disaster
Zelensky took advantage of the incident to reiterate his call for Western powers to stop Russia. “We must prevent Europe from dying of a nuclear disaster,” the president said.
Earlier, he had asked them to “close the sky” to Russian warships or hand over planes to them, and had warned that Moscow could then attack the Baltic states and the rest of Europe.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson accused Putin of “directly threatening the security of all of Europe” and called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.
Until now, Western countries have delivered weapons to Ukraine, but have focused their response on a battery of sanctions to isolate Russia diplomatically, economically, culturally and sportingly.
However, these do not seem to faze the Kremlin master.
“The special military operation is proceeding on schedule, as planned,” Putin told a meeting of his Security Council.
In a previous conversation with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, Putin promised to continue his offensive “without concessions”. After that conversation, Macron concluded that “the worst is yet to come” in the conflict in Ukraine.
AFP
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