Ukraine’s foreign ministry has strongly condemned the shelling of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant and called for the international community to force Russia to withdraw its forces from the plant.
In a statement posted on Facebook, the ministry said the Zaporizhzhya NPP and Chernobyl NPP are currently under the control of Russian armed forces.
As a result of the shelling on the territory of the (Zaporizhzhya) nuclear power plant, a fire broke out, killing and injuring several people. The fire has now been extinguished.
It warned that if the cooling of the nuclear fuel within the Zaporizhzhya plant is disturbed, it could cause radioactive damage and have “irreparable consequences for Europe’s environment”.
Thousands of people – including civilians who are currently unable to evacuate the area near the plant due to ongoing shelling and fighting – would be hurt by this.
The ministry added that it was disappointed by the reaction of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and demanded “clear and decisive action” from the UN atomic agency.
The MFA of Ukraine strongly condemns the shelling and seizure of the Zaporizhzhya NPP site in the town of Energodar by the occupying armed forces of the RFhttps://t.co/TLxzAIUzKg pic.twitter.com/pVptubTKbl
— MFA of Ukraine ???????? (@MFA_Ukraine) March 4, 2022
In addition to the six power units at the Zaporizhzhya NPP, there is a storage facility for spent nuclear fuel on site. Any damage to this facility can lead to nuclear radiation release. A nuclear disaster of this scale may exceed all previous accidents at nuclear power plants
— MFA of Ukraine ???????? (@MFA_Ukraine) March 4, 2022
