Russia is accused of creating the risk of nuclear disaster by stationing forces around Ukraine’s Zaporizhia nuclear power plant. Moscow says it is Ukraine that has bombed the facility.
THE former president of Russia Dmitry Medvedev issued a veiled warning today to Ukraine’s Western allies who have accused Russia of creating the risk of nuclear disaster by deploying forces around Ukraine’s Zaporizhia nuclear power plant.
Ukraine has accused Russia of shelling Ukrainian cities from this location, knowing that Ukrainian forces could not risk returning fire. He claims that Moscow has itself bombed the region while blaming Ukraine.
Russia says it is Ukraine that has bombed the facilities.
“They (Kyiv and its allies) say it is Russia. This is obviously 100% nonsense, even for the stupid Russophobic public.” Medvedev, now deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, wrote in a Telegram post. “They say it happens completely by accident, as if to say ‘we didn’t mean it'”he added. “What can I say; Let’s not forget that the European Union also has nuclear power plants. And accidents can happen there too.”
The United Nations’ International Atomic Energy Agency has said the bombing of Zaporizhia, Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, could cause a nuclear disaster, but has failed to set the conditions for an inspection.
Kyiv and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres have called for demilitarization of the region, and major Group of 7 (G7) economies have called on Russia to return it to Ukraine.
But Russian lawmaker Leonid Slutsky, chairman of the foreign affairs committee of the lower house of the Russian parliament, said the idea of ​​returning the plant to Ukrainian control was “a travesty from the point of view of ensuring security”.
“And all the statements by the G7 foreign ministers in support of their demands are nothing more than ‘sponsoring nuclear terrorism,'” he added on Telegram.
Russia seized the Zaporizhia plant in March after invading Ukraine on February 24 but the plant continues to be operated by Ukrainian workers.
Kyiv said the compound was hit five times yesterday, including near radioactive material storage sites. Russian-appointed officials said Ukraine had bombed the factory twice, disrupting the shift change, state news agency TASS reported.
RES-EMP
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