Russian President Vladimir Putin is planning attacks on Ukraine’s nuclear power plants, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said.
Addressing the UN General Assembly in New York, the Ukrainian president referred back to Russia‘s 2022 attack on the nuclear facility in the city of Zaporizhzhia, which Moscow’s forces now control.
Describing initial reports of Russia’s attack on that plant as “one of the most horrifying moments of the war”, he warned the world must pressure Moscow to prevent “nuclear disaster”.
“Recently, I received yet another alarming report from our intelligence – now Putin does seem to be planning attacks on our nuclear power plants,” he said.
“Any missile or drone strike, any critical incident in the energy system could lead to a nuclear disaster.
“A day like that must never come, and Moscow needs to understand this, and this depends in part on your determination to put pressure on the aggressor.”
This image appeared to show the fire at the nuclear power plant in the Russian attack. Pic: YouTube/ Zaporizhzhia power plant
He claimed Russia is getting detailed images and information on the infrastructure of Ukraine’s nuclear plants with the “help” of “satellites of other countries”.
“If, God forbid, Russia causes a nuclear disaster at one of our nuclear power plants, radiation will not respect state borders,” he added.
Russia has already targeted large parts of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, he said, with all thermal power plants destroyed as well as “a large part” of its hydroelectric capacity.
Mr Putin is trying to keep “millions” of Ukrainians in the cold and dark this winter, he warned.
“Since Russia can’t defeat our people’s resistance on the battlefield, Putin is looking for other ways to break the Ukrainian spirit,” he added.
He urged leaders at the UN to stand with his country and pursue “real, just peace”.
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Mr Zelenskyy is expected to present a “victory plan” to the White House – two and a half years after Russia invaded Ukraine – and long-range weapons systems are said to be key.
Recent weeks have seen Mr Zelenskyy pushing the US, and other Western allies, for permission to use longer-range missiles to strike deeper into Russia.
So far the Pentagon and White House have given the green light to loosen restrictions, with hesitation over the possibility of a US-made missile hitting Moscow and escalating the war.