Kyiv: World leaders condemn the Russian attack on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant accusing them of endangering safety of an entire continent. In a Facebook post early Friday, the Ukrainian President accused Russia of intentionally targeting the nuclear plant and urged European leaders to ‘ wake up now and stop Russian forces ‘before this becomes a nuclear disaster’. The attack came after President Zelensky urged for more international assistance to fight back.
At around 2:30 am (local time), a fire broke out at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, located in Enerhodar, southeastern Ukraine- the largest of its kind in Ukraine, which contains six of the country’s 15 nuclear energy reactors. The fire was reported by local authorities after it is reported to eb targeted by Russian saboteurs. Workers at the plant said the fire – which has since been extinguished – broke out at a training building outside the plant’s perimeter, and that only one of the plant’s six reactors were operational.
According to the UN’s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), “ the fire had not affected the plant’s “essential” equipment and there was no increase in radiation levels.” No causalities due to the blaze have been reported so far.
As the Russian troops advance, the city of Mariupol, in the south-eastern region is under siege and in desperate need of military and humanitarian aid. Meanwhile, in Kharkiv 34 civilians were killed in 24 hours. Kharkiv’s mayor said the Russian military is “intentionally trying to eliminate Ukrainian people” as it targets civilian spaces. Russian troops are also advancing toward Odessa, the strategically significant city on the southern coast, sources said.
The second round of talks didn’t yield the desired result, a Ukrainian negotiator said on Thursday, informing that both sides had approved to provided humanitarian corridors for civilians.