Russia / Ukraine : China calls for de-escalation amidst rising nuclear threats
A fire was reported at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant following the Ukrainian shelling of the nearby city of Energodar, TASS reported.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused Kyiv of deliberately trying to destroy the plant and considered it a “nuclear terror.”
The Russian nuclear corporation Rosatom indicated that the fire had burned for about three hours and caused “very serious damage” to the cooling towers and added, “We draw your attention to the fact that today’s strike was delivered targeting the NPP’s equipment, which must be cooling water for the power plant in the standard operation mode.”
Meanwhile, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Chief Rafael Grossi requested “immediate access” to the tower to assess the damage and stated, “These reckless attacks endanger nuclear safety at the plant and increase the risk of a nuclear accident. They must stop now.”
Accordingly, 11,000 people were evacuated from Krasnaya Yaruga District in Russia’s Belgorod region, in addition to over 76,000 residents had evacuated previously from the Kursk region.
China, on the other hand, has urged Ukraine and Russia on Monday to de-escalate tension and avoid further expansion of the battlefield.
“China will continue to maintain communication with the international community to play a constructive role in the political settlement of the crisis,” said the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
