The Ukrainian nuclear power plant in Zaporijjia continues to cause concern. President Volodymyr Zelensky raised the specter of the Chernobyl disaster on Monday and called for new sanctions against Russia, following new strikes at this plant occupied by the Russians.
“The world should not forget Chernobyl and the fact that Zaporizhia is the biggest power plant in Europe. The Chernobyl disaster (in 1986) is the explosion of a reactor and the Zaporizhia power plant has six reactors,” he said Monday evening in his daily video address.
The Russians have controlled the site since March 4
The site, in southern Ukraine, has been under Russian control since March 4. It was bombed twice at the end of last week, including near a reactor. Kyiv and Moscow blamed each other for the strikes. “We need new sanctions against the terrorist state and against the entire Russian nuclear industry which creates the threat of nuclear catastrophe”, continued the Ukrainian president.
Reactor number 4 of the Chernobyl power plant had exploded on April 26, 1986, causing the largest civil nuclear accident and releasing a radioactive cloud which spread throughout Europe.
