In view of the fighting over the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for sanctions against Russia’s nuclear industry. Russia builds nuclear power plants in several countries and also stores radioactive waste.
Russia has been occupying the nuclear power plant in the city of Enerhodar for months and is issuing orders to Ukrainian personnel there. In recent weeks, the facility has also come under repeated fire, for which Kiev and Moscow have been blaming each other for several days.
Russia is using the nuclear power plant to scare people, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his daily video address on Saturday night. With his behavior Moscow is blackmailing not only the Ukrainian leadership, but the whole world. Zelenskyy accused Russian forces of using the area as a fortress to fire on the small towns of Nikopol and Marhanets on the other bank of the Dnipro Dam.
“Radioactive Threat”
The forces on the site of the nuclear power plant would “increase the radioactive threat to Europe to a level not seen even in the most difficult moments of confrontation during the Cold War”. “Of course there should be a harsh response to that,” Zelenskyj said. Ukrainian diplomats and representatives of partner countries would do everything they could to block the Russian nuclear industry. Any Russian soldier who fires at or hides at the nuclear power plant becomes a target for Ukrainian secret agents and the military.
At the same time, the Ukrainian president called for international justice to hold those responsible to account. Penalties are also needed, which would affect the Russian nuclear industry. With six reactors and a net capacity of 5,700 megawatts, the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe and of strategic importance to Ukraine’s power supply.
New Troops in the South
Meanwhile, according to British intelligence, the Russian army wants to strengthen its forces in southern Ukraine. To that end, units were regrouped last week, the report said. In the east, Russian-backed separatist forces continue to attack the regional capital Donetsk. The fighting is especially fierce in the suburb of Pisky near Donetsk airport. Moscow had only stated on Saturday that it had completely taken Pisky, which Kiev denied.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
