If Nuclear Power Plant Explodes, That Will Be End For Europe: Ukraine President
Mumbai: After Russian troops shelled Europe’s largest nuclear power plant in Ukraine, the country’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, “If there is an explosion – that’s the…end for Europe.”
The fire, located in a training building in the periphery of the site, started in the early hours of Friday and was extinguished around 6.20 pm Ukraine time.
Ukrainian officials said the site had been secured and the reactors were safe, and the IAEA said “essential” equipment was not affected by the fire. However, the incident underscored the dangers to the nuclear plant in the midst of a conflict.
“Europe must wake up now,” Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video statement on Friday. “Europe’s biggest nuclear station is on fire. Right now Russian tanks are firing from nuclear units. They’re tanks that have thermal sights, so they know where they’re firing.”
“If there will be an explosion, it will the end to all of us, the end of Europe, the evacuation of Europe,” Zelensky said. “Only immediate action of Europe can stop Russian troops and prevent the death of Europe from the disaster at a nuclear station.”
He accused Russia of resorting to “nuclear terror”.
“No country other than Russia has ever fired on nuclear power units,” he said. “This is the first time in our history. In the history of mankind. The terrorist state now resorted to nuclear terror.”
Nuclear plant spokesman Andrey Tuz said one of the reactor blocks was killed in the bombing.
In a video posted on social media, Tuz said: “Firefighters could not get to the scene and extinguished the fire due to heavy shelling. The first power unit has already been hit. Stop!”
A video feed from the plant verified by Reuters showed shelling and smoke rising near a building at the plant compound.
The state-run atomic energy agency, Energoatom, later confirmed that one reactor block was hit by shelling.
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