Russia attacked Chernobyl's damaged reactor overnight: Zelensky
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Kyiv: Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said that a Russian airstrike hit the radiation shelter built over Chornobyl’s damaged nuclear reactor. He said that Russia ran an overnight drone attack on the powerplant, the site of the world’s worst nuclear accident, where a fire erupted, though it was extinguished later, BBC reported.
However, the radiation levels detected inside and outside Chernobyl remain normal and stable, the UN’s nuclear watchdog IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) reported.
Meanwhile, Moscow denied claims of its military attacking the contained region. It said that it had not launched any attack on the ruined reactor infrastructure, and any claims that this was the case “do not correspond to reality.
IAEA said that fire safety personnel and vehicles responded within minutes to an explosion at the site during the night, and no casualties were reported. It remains on “high alert” after the incident, and its director general, Rafael Mariano Grossi, said that there is "no room for complacency".
It was in 1986 that Chernobyl burst in a catastrophic explosion, sending radioactive material into the air and putting the population of Europe under threat.
Zelensky shared footage of the on X, which showed damage to the giant shield that covered the open reactor core. The shield is made of concrete and steel.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said earlier this week that Ukraine might become Russian someday.
Ukraine “may be Russian someday,” Al Jazeera quoted Trump, who is going berserk after his ascent to the top seat of the US for a second term. He had promised that he would bring a swift end to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Meanwhile, Ukraine's administration suggested that it is open to an agreement in which the US government will be compensated for the continued military and financial aid, Al Jazeera writes.