At an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council held on Friday, March 4, 2022, the United States strongly condemned Russia for the shooting down and seizure of Europe's largest nuclear power plant, Zaporizhzhia in Ukraine. The United States has also demanded that Moscow prevent such attacks from happening again.
“The world narrowly avoided a nuclear catastrophe last night. Russia's attack last night put Europe's largest nuclear power plant in grave danger," Linda Thomas-Greenfield, United States Ambassador to the United Nations, was quoted as saying by Channel News Asia, Saturday 5 March 2022.
“It was very reckless and dangerous. And it threatens the safety of civilians across Russia, Ukraine and Europe." Smoke rises from an oil depot that, according to local authorities, was damaged by a bomb attack in Chernihiv, Ukraine.
When the bullets hit the area on Friday morning, a blaze broke out in a training building, sparking worldwide panic before the fire was extinguished. Officials say the facility is safe.
However, Ukrainian officials remain concerned about the precarious situation, as Ukrainian staff operating at nuclear power plants under Russian control amid battlefield conditions are beyond administrators' reach.
British Ambassador to the United Nations, Barbara Woodward said that amid the illegal invasion, Russia must stay away and protect the safety and security of nuclear sites.
"That can't happen again. Even in the midst of the illegal invasion of Ukraine, Russia must continue to fight to stay away and protect the safety and security of nuclear sites," said Barbara. Satellite shows images of a Russian military convoy in Invankiv, Ukraine.
On the other hand, Russia's envoy to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia, dismissed the Western furor over a nuclear power plant in Ukraine, calling Friday's Security Council meeting a veiled attempt by Ukrainian authorities to create artificial hysteria.
"Currently, the nuclear power plant and the adjacent area are heavily guarded by Russian troops," Nebenzia said.
"Military operations in the vicinity of nuclear sites and other critical civilian infrastructure are unacceptable, and utterly irresponsible," the UN's head of political affairs, Rosemary DiCarlo, told the meeting.
To date, thousands of people are believed to have died, and more than 1 million refugees have fled Ukraine as the invasion continues in its second week. Western countries have also retaliated against a number of sanctions that have plunged Russia into economic isolation.