Ukraine condemns Putin’s ‘nuclear blackmail’ over Russian soldiers at plant

President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine has accused Russia of ‘nuclear blackmail’ for stationing soldiers near Europe’s biggest nuclear power facility.

In the early days of its invasion in March, Russia captured the Zaporizhzhia facility and transformed it into a base from which it attacks adjacent towns.

This implies that Ukrainian troops cannot engage in retaliation without risking a catastrophic radioactive fallout from a stray missile.
In recent days, though, the factory has been shelled, with each side accusing the other.

 

Ukraine asserts that Russia has launched its own weapons against the facility, alleging that these were Ukrainian assaults.

Ukranian president Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of using 'nuclear blackmail' by stationing troops at Europe's largest nuclear power plant

As the crisis intensifies, the UN has issued a warning of a nuclear catastrophe.

 

Mr. Zelensky asserts that any Russian soldier who fires at or from behind the facility will be a “particular target” for his men.

 

The factory is situated in the southern Ukrainian city of Enerhodar, on the eastern bank of the Dnieper River.

 

Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 and quickly seized the factory. Russia has constantly denied any involvement and asserts that it took control of the facility to avoid radioactive material leakage amid regional conflict.

 

By shooting on the facility, according to Mr. Zelensky, Russia participated in “continuous provocations.”

 

In his TV speech, Putin said that this was being done to “blackmail our state and the whole free world.”

 

However, he emphasized that “Russian blackmail mobilizes even greater worldwide efforts to combat terrorism.”