Russia are trying to seize Chernobyl in a 'declaration of war against the whole of Europe', Ukraine's president has claimed.
Warfare has gripped the East today, February 24, after Russian president Vladimir Putin invaded the country for a 'special military operation'. Ukraine has been hit with more than 200 attacks, with shelling rocking the capital of Kyiv and other cities, and troops and civilians dying as a result of a conflict.
In his most recent tweet, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of trying to capture Chernobyl.
On April 26, 1986, reactor four at Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, in Pripyat, Ukraine, exploded after a huge power surge. This led to radioactive fallout on scale previously undreamt of – it is the worst accident in the history of nuclear power.
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It comes off the back of reports suggesting Russian troops had entered an area near the plant from the Belarusian side, and that fighting had caused the destruction of a nuclear waste facility, though this has not yet been confirmed. It also comes after an airstrike reportedly hit an area near Chernobyl.
Zelensky has now alleged, 'Russian occupation forces are trying to seize the #Chornobyl_NPP. Our defenders are giving their lives so that the tragedy of 1986 will not be repeated. Reported this to @SwedishPM. This is a declaration of war against the whole of Europe.'
It's unclear why Russian forces would want to take control of Chernobyl at the time of writing. Putin initially said he didn't plan on occupying Ukraine, but as per Sky News, parts of Ukraine's southern Kherson region are no longer under Ukrainian control. Western officials believe Putin wants to enforce a regime change in Ukraine and place the country under Russia's control.
While there's been conflicting reports, it's believed more than Ukrainian troops have been killed, in addition to six people in Brovary, a young boy as a result of an apartment building being shelled in Kyiv, 18 people caught in a missile attack in Odessa, and three border guards.
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Putin earlier threatened unprecedented consequences if the west interferes with the invasion, and foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia was still open to dialogue despite the ongoing warfare. 'Unfortunately, our Western friends do not respect international law, trying to destroy it and promote what they call 'rules-based order,' he said, per BBC News.
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Topics: Ukraine, Russia, World News
