Dozens of countries demand departure of Russian soldiers from Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant

Dozens of countries demand departure of Russian soldiers from Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant

More than forty countries, including the Netherlands, have called on Russia to “immediately” withdraw its armed forces from the occupied nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhya. “The presence of Russian military personnel and weapons in the nuclear facility is unacceptable,” the countries wrote in a joint statement on Sunday. letterbecause it violates safety standards. The international nuclear agency IAEA fears a possible nuclear disaster if the fighting around the plant does not stop.

Fighting has intensified in recent days in the occupied area around Europe’s largest power plant since Kiev has again increased pressure. Ukraine and Russia accuse each other of shelling around the plant. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video message on Sunday that any Russian soldier who fires at the factory, or uses the factory as a cover, will become “a special target” by the Ukrainian armed forces. UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for a ceasefire last week.

Due to the Russian military presence, the nuclear agency cannot, among other things, carry out checks at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, according to the letter that was signed by a total of 42 countries and the European Union. Russian forces captured the power station in southern Ukraine early in the war, although it is still operated by Ukrainian personnel. The plant is ten times larger than the Chernobyl plant.

Read more about how Ukraine increases pressure on the southern front.