Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, issued a warning on Saturday about the ongoing “serious threat” at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which is currently under Russian occupation.
Zelensky stated that Russia possesses the necessary technical capability to orchestrate a localized explosion at the facility, which could lead to a release of radiation.
He cited Ukrainian intelligence as the source of this information during a joint press conference in kyiv with the President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez.
While Zelensky did not provide further details, the Ukrainian capital kyiv had previously alleged that Russian forces had laid mines at the power plant.
The Ukrainian president called for increased international attention to the situation at the facility, located in southeastern Ukraine and recognized as the largest nuclear plant in Europe. Zelensky also called for the imposition of sanctions on Russia’s state nuclear company, Rosatom.
The Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant fell under Russian control in early March of the previous year, after the invasion of Moscow. Russia has consistently denied kyiv’s accusations that Russia was preparing to cause an explosion at the plant. Both sides have accused each other of attacking the facility.
Most notably, Ukraine, then part of the Soviet Union, experienced the world’s most serious nuclear disaster in 1986 when an explosion and fire at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant released radioactive material that affected much of Europe.
Meanwhile, recent satellite images revealed the construction of a camp in Belarus intended for Wagner fighters.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Russian mercenary force, and his fighters managed to evade prosecution and sought refuge in Belarus with the help of Minsk. This development occurred after Belarus played a role in negotiating a deal to put down what appeared to be an armed insurrection in Russia.
During the failed uprising, Wagner’s troops captured a military headquarters in southern Russia and advanced hundreds of miles toward Moscow.
Satellite images indicated the setting up of numerous tents in the past two weeks at a former military base on the outskirts of Osipovichi, a town 142 miles north of the Ukrainian border.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a Moscow ally, expressed his country’s willingness to use the knowledge and experience of Wagner fighters. He announced that he had offered the fighters an “abandoned military unit” to set up his camp.
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