Russia's Ministry of Defense warned on Thursday that radioactive debris would reach Germany, Poland, and Slovakia if an accident occurred at the nuclear power facility it is occupying in southern Ukraine.
According to Reuters, Igor Kirillov, the chief of Russia's radioactive, chemical, and biological defense forces, claimed the plant's backup support systems had been damaged by shelling and that numerous European nations may be at risk if an accident occurred.
Russia Says it Could Shut Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant
The warning came as tensions over the state of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station rose, with the destiny of the facility - Europe's largest nuclear power plant - likely to be discussed at meetings on Thursday between UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Russia and Ukraine have both accused the other of attacking the power facility. Russia's Defense Ministry warned Thursday that if Ukrainian forces continued to bombard the nuclear reactor, it may shut it down. Ukraine denies attacking the complex and instead accuses Russia of jeopardizing the facility, which it claims is used to store munitions and military equipment, according to CNBC.
The largest nuclear reactor plant in Europe, Zaporizhzhia, was taken by Russia shortly after it invaded Ukraine over six months ago and has been repeatedly shelled, with both Moscow and Kyiv swapping blame.
As stated by a senior Ukrainian official, the easiest approach would be for Russian soldiers to withdraw from the factory, remove any weapons stored there, and de-mine it. Igor Konashenkov, a spokesperson for Russia's Defense Ministry, told reporters Thursday that Moscow was taking precautions to protect the safety of the personnel.
However, the government stated that if Ukrainian forces continued to shell the facility, a shutdown would be tried. Igor Kirillov, chief of Russia's radioactive, chemical, and biological defense forces, said in a briefing that shelling had damaged the plant's backup support systems. Kirillov showed a graphic depicting how, in the case of a plant catastrophe, radioactive material would blanket Germany, Poland, and Slovakia, NBC News reported.
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Russia, Ukraine Accuse Each Other of Plotting Attack on Nuclear Power Plant
Russia claimed on Thursday that there was a potential of a man-made disaster at Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, accusing Kyiv and the West of organizing a provocation there on Friday during UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' visit to Ukraine.
A Ukrainian official ridiculed Moscow's disingenuous claim, saying Russian forces should leave the factory they took shortly after invading Ukraine over six months ago, demine it, and remove any weaponry kept there. Russia claims that Ukrainian soldiers are shooting irresponsibly at the facility, but Ukraine claims that Russia is purposefully exploiting the nuclear complex as a platform to launch strikes against its people.
At a press conference, Russia's foreign ministry said Guterres' suggestion to demilitarize the region around the facility was unacceptable. The government stated that if the shelling persisted, the plant may be shut down. The head of the Russian-installed government in the Zaporizhzhia area, Yevgeny Balitsky, had stated that there was a possibility that shelling may harm the cooling system of the oblast.
The Russian defense ministry accused Ukraine and its US handlers of staging a small mishap at the facility in southern Ukraine to blame Russia. It stated the "provocation" was planned to coincide with UN Secretary-General António Guterres' visit to Ukraine, which he landed in Lviv on Wednesday and was scheduled to visit the Black Sea port of Odesa on Friday, and that it may entail a radiation attack, as per Reuters.
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