President Volodymyr Zelenskyi on Sunday accused Russia of engaging in “nuclear terrorism” as Ukraine marked the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster with fresh deadly drone strikes.
At least three people were killed across the country after Moscow launched over 100 drones overnight, part of the near-daily airstrikes Ukraine has endured since the war began in 2022.
In a message on social media to mark the anniversary of Chernobyl, Zelensky warned that Russia’s invasion was once again pushing the world closer to the threat of a man-made disaster.
“Forty years ago, the world faced one of the biggest nuclear disasters – the fourth reactor of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded. A significant amount of radioactive material was released. Hundreds of thousands of people have been dealing with the consequences of this tragedy for years,” he said on X.
“To contain the radiation, a sarcophagus was built over the destroyed reactor. Later, more than 40 countries enclosed it in a new safe shelter to prevent further disasters,” Zelenskyy mentioned.
He continued: “These two structures protect against radioactive leaks and contamination. Their maintenance and protection is in everyone’s interest. However, Russia is once again bringing the world to the brink of a man-made disaster with its war – Russian-Iranian “shahs” regularly fly over the power plant, and one of them landed in prison last year.”
The Ukrainian leader noted that Russian drones often fly over the site of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, adding that one of them hit a protective cover last year.
“The world must not allow this nuclear terrorism to continue, and the best way is to force Russia to stop its reckless attacks,” Zelenskyy added.
The 1986 plant explosion remains the worst civilian nuclear disaster in history and significantly changed global attitudes towards nuclear power. Thousands of deaths have been linked to radiation exposure from the disaster, although estimates of exact casualties vary. About 600,000 people involved in the cleanup, known as “liquidators,” were exposed to dangerous levels of radiation.
A 2005 United Nations report estimated confirmed and presumed deaths at 4,000 in the three worst-affected countries, while Greenpeace said in 2006 that the disaster may have caused nearly 100,000 deaths.
The recent Russian drone attack on Ukraine
Russian attacks in Ukraine have left three dead and at least four others injured, Ukrainian officials said Sunday, according to AFP.
In a post on Telegram, Oleg Grygorov wrote: “The enemy hit civilians on the territory of the Bilopillia community – near one of the settlements, less than five kilometers from the state border with the Russian Federation.
In the northeastern border region of Sumy, a Russian drone killed two civilians, according to the head of the regional military administration. Two men aged 48 and 72 were identified among the victims.
Regional military administration commander Oleksandr Ganzha said drone and artillery shelling claimed one life and injured four others in the central eastern city of Dnipro. He added that several houses and vehicles were also damaged.
The Ukrainian Air Force said Russia had launched 144 drones overnight, with 124 of them successfully intercepted and destroyed.
Earlier on Sunday, the Moscow-appointed governor of Sevastopol in Russian-annexed Crimea said a man was killed in a vehicle during a Ukrainian drone strike that also damaged several houses and a dance school in different parts of the port city.
The governor added that Russian air defenses shot down 43 drones during the attack.
A day earlier, Ukrainian officials said at least eight people were killed in Dnipro after the city endured nearly 20 hours of continuous Russian strikes.
