MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin warned his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron that shelling of the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine, which he blamed on Kyiv, could result in a large-scale disaster.
Moscow and Kyiv have accused each other of shelling Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, which was captured by Russia in March but is still run by Ukrainian technicians. Only two of the facility’s six reactors are working.
“Vladimir Putin, in particular, stressed that the systematic shelling of the territory of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant by the Ukrainian military created the danger of a large-scale catastrophe that could lead to radiation contamination of vast territories,” the Kremlin said in a readout of the call, which it said had been initiated by Macron.
Ukraine and Russia have accused each other of planning provocations at the plant. Kyiv said that Russian forces planned to disconnect the facility from the Ukrainian power grid and link it up to the Russian one.
The Kremlin said that Putin and Macron had stressed the importance of sending a delegation from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to the plant as soon as possible.
Putin confirmed Russia’s readiness to provide IAEA inspectors with the necessary assistance, according to the Kremlin. In the call, Putin also told Macron about continuing obstacles to supplying Russian food and fertilizer products to world markets.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian Interior Minister said during a drill for emergency workers in the nearby city of Zaporizhzhia that Kyiv must “prepare for all scenarios” linked to its Russian-occupied nuclear plant.
The tensions around the facility have sparked fears of another nuclear disaster in Europe like the one in Chernobyl in then Soviet Ukraine in 1986.
“Nobody could have predicted that Russian troops would be firing on nuclear reactors with tanks. It is incredible,” Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky said in the Ukrainian-held city of Zaporizhzhia, 50 kilometers (31 miles) from the plant.
After watching a nuclear accident drill on Wednesday, he said Ukraine should be prepared since “as long as the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant is controlled by Russia, there are major risks.”
Dozens of Ukrainian emergency workers wearing gas masks and hazmat suits took part in the drill in which they practiced evacuating an injured person and washing down contaminated vehicles.
The head of Ukraine’s state nuclear agency Energoatom, Petro Kotin, said around 500 Russian soldiers and 50 armored vehicles were at the plant. Russia said it does not have any heavy weapons or troops there except for guard units.
Ukraine has accused Russia of firing on the plant in order to accuse Ukraine of doing it, while Russia has accused Kyiv of shelling the facility. –Agencies
