Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on September 21 issued a harsh nationalist warning claiming that Russia is preparing for an alleged nuclear strike on Ukraine as winter sets in. This rather disturbing statement has sparked much worry as to the possibility of a nuclear accident with the situation in the war zone.
Says Sybiha, Ukranian intelligence has revealed that Russia is planning to launch an attack on core nuclear power facilities, including Open distribution instruments and transformers in nuclear power stations and transmission stations. He called on Ukraine’s friends and the United Nations’ atomic watchdog to set up permanent observation posts at Ukraine’s nuclear facilities to avert disaster.
Sybiha has not provided additional information to back her claims, and Moscow did not counter the accusations, but the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has not refuted any of the charges.
The warning elicited a fierce response from Andriy Yermak, chief of staff of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, who characterized the situation as preparation for a nuclear catastrophe. Putin is actually a terrorist, Yermak wrote on the popular messaging app Telegram, adding that an urgent response is needed to prevent such threats.
After the large-scale invasion started in February 2022, the Russian attack aimed at Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, which dealt significant blows to most of the thermal power plants. Russian forces have targeted dams and power stations, while nuclear facilities run by Ukraine remain relatively unscathed.
Ukraine earlier branded Moscow’s actions nuclear blackmail after it captured the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe. While Moscow has dismissed allegations that it seeks a nuclear event in the country, both Zelensky and Putin have accused each other’s forces of shelling close to the plant. Before the onset of the winter, Ukraine urges those who still listen to take measures to prevent attacks on its nuclear stations by Russia.
