Russia and Ukraine exchanged accusations of targeting the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, after the renewed bombing of it yesterday, Thursday, and while the Ukrainian army detected radiation, the Russian side denied this.
And the Ukrainian "Energoatum" group, which operates the station, warned that "the situation is getting worse," noting "the presence of radioactive materials nearby and damage to several radiation-sensing devices."
And Energoatom announced the registration of 5 new strikes in the immediate vicinity of a warehouse of radioactive materials, accusing the Russian forces of launching them.
For his part, Yevgeny Palitsky, head of the civil and military administration established by Moscow in this region in southern Ukraine controlled by the Russians, said, "Currently, no pollution has been recorded at the station and the level of radioactivity is normal," stressing that "several tons" of radioactive waste are stored in the place.
Vladimir Rogov, a member of the pro-Russian Pro-Russian Zaporizhia Region, confirmed that the Russian air defense system repelled an attack by missiles and drones launched by Ukrainian forces on the city of Energodar and the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant.
The Russian forces had taken control of the Zaporozhye station on the fourth of March, a few days after the start of the war.
It is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, southeast of Ukraine, and its vicinity is witnessing air attacks, about which Moscow and Kiev exchange accusations.
The plant, which includes 6 nuclear reactors, provides about 20% of the total electricity in Ukraine, and has a production capacity of about 5,700 megawatts per hour.
Prepare for disaster
Regarding what is happening, Ukrainian Interior Minister Denis Monastirsky said on Thursday that Ukraine should be prepared for any possibility of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, including the process of evacuating residents from the region.
"The station until today is not only in the hands of the enemy, but in the hands of uneducated people who might allow a tragedy to happen," Monastirsky told Reuters.
Ukraine recently warned of the danger of a nuclear disaster like Chernobyl, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on Thursday the international community to "immediately act" to remove the Russians from the occupied Zaporozhye nuclear power plant that was targeted by bombings.
The Ukrainian president said that the Russian bombing began to cause radiation to leak into Europe through the air.
He stressed that Russia bombed the Zaporozhye plant despite its knowledge of the seriousness of this matter, and stressed that the plant is the third largest nuclear plant in the world.
Zelensky believed that Russia is misleading the world by hiding the danger of nuclear radiation at the Zaporozhye plant, noting that the world needs to be protected from this danger.
Grossi spoke to the Security Council via video and warned of serious consequences for military activities near the Zaporozhye station (Reuters)
Security Council session
Before a session of the UN Security Council on Thursday evening, the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, expressed his grave concern over the bombing of the Zaporozhye nuclear plant, and called for a halt to all military actions in the region.
During his video address to the Security Council on the situation at the nuclear plant, Grossi warned of the very serious consequences of military activities near the plant.
"The situation is critical and the International Atomic Energy Agency must be allowed to send a mission to Zaporozhye as soon as possible," he explained.
Grossi stressed that "time is running out", while the agency has been trying for weeks to send a mission to inspect the nuclear plant.
When asked about accusations by the United Nations of being responsible for the delay in sending the International Atomic Energy Agency mission to the site, the spokesman for the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, on Thursday rejected this idea again.
"It's about a nuclear plant in the heart of a battlefield (...) there are a lot of obstacles," Stephane Dujarric explained.
In order to ensure the safety of the site and allow the arrival of an inspection mission, Guterres and the United States called for the establishment of a demilitarized zone around Zaporozhye.
For her part, US Assistant Secretary of State for Disarmament Affairs Bonnie Jenkins said, "The solution to what is happening in Zaporozhye is simple. The United States calls on the Russian Federation to immediately withdraw its forces from Ukrainian territory."
On the other hand, Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzia blamed Ukraine and its allies, saying, "We call on the United States, which supports the Kyiv regime (...) to compel it to put a definitive end to the attacks targeting the Zaporozhye plant." We also call on the United Nations and the International Atomic Energy Agency to inform the Ukrainian authorities that their actions Unacceptable".
"The true scale of the nuclear disaster at the station is difficult to imagine. The full responsibility lies with the Western countries that support Kiev," he said, describing the accusations leveled at Moscow as "surreal", "ridiculous" and "absurd."
Western aid
In a related context, Danish Defense Minister Morten Bodsko said that Western countries pledged more than 1.5 billion euros ($ 1.55 billion) in aid to Ukraine to enhance its military capabilities in its war with Russia.
At a press conference, Bodesko added that the funds pledged by 26 countries at a conference in Copenhagen will be used to provide supplies of existing weapons, missiles and ammunition, increase arms production to Ukraine, train Ukrainian soldiers, and clear mines from war-torn areas.
Earlier on Thursday, Britain announced that it would provide Ukraine with multiple launch missile systems that can hit targets up to 80 km away.
British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said in a statement that providing Ukraine with weapons would help it defend itself against heavy Russian artillery.