The United Nations (UN) nuclear chief warned that the condition at Ukraine’s largest nuclear power plant is “completely out of control” and becoming more dangerous by the day.
Following the meetings in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said that he had pressed UN Secretary-General António Guterres about the nuclear plant, which Russia has occupied since the early days of the war, according to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ).
Recently, explosions around the plant have knocked one reactor off the power grid and sparked fears of a nuclear catastrophe.
On Thursday, Zelensky met with Turkish and United Nations officials to discuss food shipments from Ukraine and the escalating situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. According to the WSJ, a series of explosions targeted Russian logistical locations behind the front lines of the conflict.
Following the conferences in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, Zelensky said that he had pressed UN Secretary-General António Guterres about the nuclear plant, which Russia has occupied since the early days of the war. Recently, explosions around the plant have knocked one reactor off the power grid and sparked fears of a nuclear catastrophe.
“The world is on the verge of nuclear disaster due to occupation of world’s third largest nuclear power plant in Energodar, Zaporizhzhia region,” Zelensky wrote on social media. “How long will it take the global community to respond to Russia’s irresponsible actions and nuclear blackmailing?”
The world is on a verge of nuclear disaster due to occupation of world's third largest nuclear power plant in Energodar, Zaporizhzhia region. How long will it take the global community to respond to Russia's irresponsible actions and nuclear blackmailing? https://t.co/lGHlhALMqV
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 18, 2022
He also stated that they discussed allegations that Ukrainian citizens were being forcibly deported to Russia and the treatment of captured Ukrainian soldiers, according to the WSJ.
UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, has called for the plant to be demilitarized, WSJ reports. Russia has stated that withdrawing its forces from the facility would jeopardize the nuclear plant’s security.
Zelensky stated that after meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, they discussed ways to protect exported Ukrainian grain and other security issues. Ankara aided in negotiating a deal with the United Nations to lift a Russian naval blockade on Ukrainian exports, which had caused food shortages throughout the Middle East and Africa.