According to the local mayor, the situation around the Ukrainian nuclear power plant Zaporizhzhya is becoming increasingly critical. The risk of a nuclear disaster at Europe’s largest nuclear power plant “is increasing every day,” the mayor of Enerhodar, where the nuclear power plant is located, said Sunday. The Russian army is shelling “the infrastructure that guarantees the safe operation of the power plant,” Dmytro Orlov added.
The Russian army has occupied the nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine since March and has come under repeated fire in recent days. Kiev and Moscow blame each other for the attacks. The rocket fire sparks fears of catastrophe at Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, and the UN Security Council has held an emergency meeting.
Pumping station damaged
After the first attacks on August 5, a reactor at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant had to be shut down. A pumping station and radiation sensors were damaged in attacks on Thursday. Ukrainian authorities and Western allies are demanding a demilitarized zone around the nuclear power plant and withdrawal of Russian troops.
“What is happening is downright nuclear terrorism,” Enerhodars Mayor Orlov criticized from the city of Zaporizhzhya, which is still under Ukrainian control. “It could end unexpectedly at any moment.” The fire protection rules are broken time and again and the situation “continues to heat up”.
“Situation is risky”
“The invaders continue to terrorize the civilian population and the nuclear power plant,” the mayor criticized. Every day and every night mortar shells are fired from the occupied villages. “The situation is risky and what is most worrying is that there is no de-escalation process,” Orlov said.
The mayor had already left Enerhodar in April. According to him, the city was shelled for the first time this weekend. The number of people who wanted to leave the city had increased enormously. In the “near future” there may not be enough staff for the proper functioning of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant.
Serious allegations against Russia
Ukraine’s head of state, Volodymyr Zelensky, also made serious allegations against Russia in his daily video address on Saturday. The “occupiers” used the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant for “blackmail” by spreading fear “in an extremely cynical way,” the president said. Russian troops are “hiding” behind the nuclear power plant to shell the Ukrainian-controlled cities of Nikopol and Marhanets.
Every day that the Russian contingent stays on the site of the nuclear power plant, “the nuclear threat to Europe increases,” Zelenskyy warned. He called for “new sanctions” against Russia aimed at “blocking” Russia’s nuclear industry.
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.
