US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield on Friday condemned Russia’s attack on Europe’s largest nuclear power plant in Ukraine as "reckless and dangerous".
“Russia’s attack last night put Europe’s largest nuclear power at grave risk. It was incredibly reckless and dangerous. And it threatened the safety of civilians across Russia, Ukraine and Europe,” Thomas-Greenfield said during an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, reported The Hill. “Nuclear facilities cannot become part of this conflict.”
She demanded that Russia withdraw troops from the plant “to permit medical treatment for injured personnel, to ensure operators have full access to the site and are able to communicate with nuclear regulators, and to allow the operators to conduct shift changes to ensure the continued safe operation of the plant.”
She also called for Ukrainian firefighters and nuclear engineers to have full access to the facility to conduct an assessment of any damage.
Speaking after Thomas-Greenfield, Russia’s UN Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya called the emergency meeting an attempt by Ukraine and the West to create “artificial hysteria” about the situation in Ukraine and denied that Russia attacked the nuclear plant.
The session took place hours after Ukraine's military said that Russian forces had captured the Zaporizhzhia nuclear facility after it was hit by artillery fire and set ablaze.
Ukrainian authorities had earlier reported that Russian troops were stepping up efforts to seize the plant and had entered the town with tanks.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba warned of a disaster should an explosion occur at the power plant.
“Russian army is firing from all sides upon Zaporizhzhia NPP, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe. Fire has already broke out. If it blows up, it will be 10 times larger than Chernobyl! Russians must IMMEDIATELY cease the fire, allow firefighters, establish a security zone!” he tweeted.
Ukraine's Ministry of Energy initially said that Ukrainian firefighters could not begin efforts to extinguish the flames at the nuclear reactor due to gunfire from Russian troops, but it was later reported that the firefighters were permitted to enter the compound.
Hours later, Ukrainian authorities reported that firefighters had extinguished the blaze.
Earlier this week, the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) 35-nation Board of Governors held an emergency meeting over the war in Ukraine and the threat to nuclear waste facilities in the country.
Russian forces last week seized the spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste facilities at Chernobyl, the site of the world's worst nuclear accident at a now-defunct power plant.
The takeover prompted condemnation from the United States, after “credible” reports were received that Russian soldiers are holding staff of Chernobyl hostage.
(Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)