Chernobyl under attack: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday claimed that a Russian drone with a high-explosive warhead targeted the protective containment shell of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in the Kyiv region. However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied the Ukrainian claims saying that the Russian military “does not do” these kinds of activities. Pescov, in a conference call with reporters, said, “There is no talk about striking on nuclear infrastructure, nuclear energy facilities, any such claim isn’t true.”
According to the UN International Atomic Energy Agency, the Chernobyl strike occurred at 1:50 am local time (2350 GMT). The outer shell, which is reported to have been hit, is a protective cover built-in 2016 over a heavy concrete containment structure. Notably, the inner layer was placed on the plant’s fourth reactor soon after the 1986 disaster, which is considered one of the worst accidents in nuclear history.
The Chernobyl strike may cause dangerous impact, not only in the area in its proximity, but beyond. In a post on X, IAEA chief Rafael Rossi said that the Chernobyl strike and the recent increase in military activity near the Zaporizhzhia plant “underline persistent nuclear safety risks,” adding that the IAEA remains “on high alert.
While IAEA in a post on X said that radiation levels inside and outside remain normal and stable, it added that its personnel responded within minutes of the strike.
Zelenskyy accuses Putin of not being serious in preparing for negotiations, as he said, “The only state in the world that can attack such facilities, occupy the territory of nuclear power plants, and conduct hostilities without any regard for the consequences is today’s Russia. And this is a terrorist threat to the entire world.” He said Russia “must be held accountable”.
On the other hand, Russia underscores that Ukrainian officials made the claim about an overnight strike because they wanted to thwart efforts to end the war through negotiations.
(With inputs from AP)