Reports have emerged that the Russian military is approaching the second-largest nuclear facility following taking control of Ukraine’s Zaporiza nuclear power plant, Europe’s largest nuclear power plant.
According to the Washington Post (WP) on the 5th (local time), US ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said Russian troops were approaching the nuclear power plant in Mykolayu, southern Ukraine, in a speech condemning Russia’s attack on the Zaporiza nuclear power plant the day before. said.
“Russian forces are currently stationed regarding 20 miles (32 km) from Ukraine’s second largest nuclear facility,” Greenfield said. According to the Ukrainian state-owned nuclear power company Energoatom, the second largest nuclear power plant in Ukraine in terms of power generation capacity is the Yuzhnoukrainsk nuclear power plant located in Mykolayu.
The previous day, Russian forces took control of the Zaporiza nuclear power plant in Enerhodar in southeastern Ukraine following fighting. The Zaporiza nuclear power plant is a large-scale nuclear power plant with 6 out of 15 nuclear reactors in operation in Ukraine, and accounts for a quarter of Ukraine’s total electricity production.
At that time, a part of the compartment of Reactor Unit 1 was damaged by Russian shelling, and a fire broke out in an educational and training building outside the nuclear power plant complex. The firefighting operation was at one time difficult due to the continued Russian attack, but was put down by the fire department. Radiation levels were also reported to be within the normal range. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said, “There is no change in the level of radiation around the nuclear power plant.”
The Russian military is also strengthening the siege of cities along the southern coast of Ukraine, including Mariupol. In Mariupol, Russian forces continue to bomb key civilian facilities in an attempt to obtain surrender, Western intelligence officials said. Vadim Wojchenko, Mayor of Mariupol, said, “Electricity and drinking water and heating supply have been cut off for the past five days.
Reporter Lee Hye-won, Donga.com [email protected]