Russia-Ukraine war: Nuclear plants should never be targeted in military ops, says UN Chief

The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has raised concern on Saturday about the reports of severe combat near Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. The UN chief took to Twitter to say that nuclear plants should never be attacked during military operations. Indicating Russia’s special military operation on Ukraine, Guterres said, “I want to make it very clear that nuclear facilities should never ever be targeted in military operations." I have been following with great alarm reports of heavy fighting around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, and I want to make it very clear that nuclear facilities should never ever be targeted in military operations. — António Guterres (@antonioguterres) March 4, 2022 These remarks of the UN chief came after Russian military troops captured the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) on Friday after an intense gunfight. Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said that the Russian military took control of the NPP in the early hours of March 4. Further, a fire broke out outside the NPP's training facility, which was put out by 6:20 a.m. (local time), as per Ukraine's State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate (SNRIU). SNRIU also revealed that the fire was caused by intense shelling by the Russian Army and covered an area of 2,000 square metres. According to Ukrainian officials, a projectile has damaged a training facility near one of the NPP's reactor units overnight, triggering the fire. Further, as per media reports, the plant's six reactors' safety systems were unaffected, and no radioactive material was released. US Embassy in Kyiv expressed its dissatisfaction, stating it a 'war crime' Following the attack on the NPP, the United States and its European allies have called an emergency conference on Ukraine. The US Embassy in Kyiv has further condemned the attack on Friday, saying that Russia's bombardment of the Zaporizhzhia NPP was a war crime. The US Embassy in Kyiv expressed its dissatisfaction with the incident in a tweet. It went on to say that Russian President Vladimir Putin has gone one step further in his reign of terror by attacking Europe's largest nuclear power plant. It is a war crime to attack a nuclear power plant. Putin's shelling of Europe's largest nuclear plant takes his reign of terror one step further. #TheHague #Zaporizhzhia #StandwithUkraine — U.S. Embassy Kyiv (@USEmbassyKyiv) March 4, 2022 In addition to this, the UN's senior political affairs official told the Security Council in an emergency meeting on Friday that the fierce fighting which has been disclosed overnight at Ukraine's largest nuclear power plant, is both unacceptable and "highly irresponsible," while guaranteeing members that radioactivity levels are normal and the facility's cooling system is unaffected. Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo stated that every attempt must be made to avoid a catastrophic nuclear accident. Furthermore, Mariano Grossi, Director General of the IAEA has also joined DiCarlo and volunteered to quickly move to Ukraine to build a framework to ensure the safety and security of the nation's nuclear facilities. Meanwhile, two people were injured, according to the IAEA, after the fire broke out at nuclear power facility. IAEA further states that the power station is the biggest of its kind in the world, holding six of the nation's 15 nuclear reactors. (Image: AP)

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Russia-Ukraine war: Nuclear plants should never be targeted in military ops, says UN Chief

The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has raised concern on Saturday about the reports of severe combat near Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant

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