Ukraine’s military leadership warned of a possible false flag operation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in the coming days.
The power station, Europe’s largest and the third largest in the world, has been occupied by Russian troops since 2022, shortly after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion.
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Ukraine prepares for potential nuclear disaster in Zaporizhzhia power plant
Ukraine prepares for potential nuclear disaster in Zaporizhzhia power plant
“Russia is the only terrorist in the world holding a nuclear power plant hostage and using it to blackmail Ukraine and the whole world,” the military officials said. No one but Russia has ever brought the world so close to the brink of a deliberate nuclear catastrophe, the post said.
The plant has a capacity of almost six gigawatts. All six of its reactors are now in a cold state.
Ukraine military chief warns of significantly worsening situation in the east
Ukraine military chief warns of significantly worsening situation in the east
Ukraine’s warnings of nuclear risks come as the country’s cities continue to endure aerial attacks.
In the city of Nikopol, not far from the contested power station, at least four people were injured by Russian artillery fire and several houses were reported to have caught fire.
In the Dnipro region in southeast Ukraine, five people were injured on Sunday by falling debris from a Russian cruise missile that was brought down. Several residential buildings were also damaged, the regional military administration said on Telegram.
The reports came after Russian overnight drone attacks on Ukraine that focused on the north-eastern city of Kharkiv, continuing a pattern seen over recent weeks, Ukrainian authorities reported earlier.
“Kharkiv is a danger zone. The city is coming under attack from Shahed drones,” city mayor Ihor Terekhov posted on Telegram shortly before midnight on Saturday.
Germany to send Ukraine additional Patriot air defence system
Germany to send Ukraine additional Patriot air defence system
On Sunday, the Ukrainian air force reported that all 10 Russian drones over the Kharkiv region had been intercepted.
The air attack had targeted critical infrastructure of the city, which lies some 40 kilometres south of the Russian border, Kharkiv Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported. National public broadcaster Suspilne reported power cuts in some parts of the city.
Before Russian launched its invasion in 2022, Kharkiv was Ukraine’s second-largest city and had a population of around 1.5 million.
Russia has intensified its attacks on the city since mid-March, hitting power supplies in particular. Given its proximity to the Russian border, the aerial attacks come with little advance warning, and there are fears that the city could gradually become uninhabitable.
The village of Vesele, which lies in the region close to the Russian border, suffered a hit. A couple were found dead in their bombed home.
In Moscow, the Russian Defence Ministry reported on Sunday that 10 Ukrainian drones had been intercepted in the early hours over the Krasnodar region in the south of the country. Details about possible targets were not released.