Ukraine President Zelenskyy alerts US of Russian forces advancing on third nuclear plant

Having captured two of Ukraine's nuclear power plants, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday informed the US that Russian forces have initiated the seizure of the third Ukrainian nuclear power plant. Addressing a video conference, Zelenskyy stated that the Yuzhnoukrainsk nuclear power plant, located in the Mykolayiv region, is under threat as Russia's invasion of Ukraine transcends into the 11th day. 

The Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant is located in southeastern Ukraine on the banks of a reservoir on the Dnieper River and is perceived as a concern as the area caught fire following shellings by Vladimir Putin's forces between March 3 and 4. 

Russian forces aim to capture third nuclear plant

On the first day of the invasion on February 24, the Russian forces captured the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, located in the north of Kyiv.

Triggering massive fears across Ukraine and possible unfathomable losses in many years to come, on Friday, the biggest nuclear power plant in Europe's Zaporizhzhia was allegedly impacted by Russia-led missile shelling. While experts have said that the loss could potentially affect central Europe for decades to come, others drew parallels with the 1986 Chernobyl meltdown disaster, which is known as the worst disaster in the history of nuclear power. 

Subsequently, on March 5, Ukrainian officials stated that while there are damages to the reactor, the compartment's safety of the unit has not been affected. Amounting to relief, it was also stated that the radioactivity levels continued being in limits, despite the Russia-led shelling. Russian forces moved into territory near the plant after taking the strategic port city of Kherson and invaded the nearby city of Enerhodar to open a route to the plant late on Thursday. A local resident also uploaded a video depicting Russian military vehicles in front of Enerhodar City Hall.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy further said the third plant that is under a threat was the Yuzhnoukrainsk nuclear power plant, located 120 kilometres (75 miles) north of Mykolaiv, one of several cities the Kremlin forces had encircled on Saturday.

Vladimir Putin denies Russian attacks on apartment buildings

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has denied Russian troops were bombing Ukrainian cities. Putin in a phone call with German Chancellor Scholz insisted that Russian soldiers were not bombing Ukrainian cities and further called the reports "fake," Mirror reported. The phone call between Scholz and Putin came after the tensions between Russia and Ukraine continue to escalate on the ground.