Ukraine loses control of Chernobyl nuclear site to Russian forces

By Jeff Mordock - The Washington Times - Thursday, February 24, 2022

Ukrainian officials on Thursday confirmed that Russia has seized control of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said the condition of the plant’s facilities, a confinement shelter and storage of nuclear waste is unknown, The Associated Press reported.

Earlier in the day, Mr. Zelenskyy called the move “a declaration of war.”

“Russian occupation forces are trying to seize the #Choronbyl_NPP. Our defenders are giving their lives so that the tragedy of 1986 will not be repeated. Reported this to @SwedishPM. This is a declaration of war against the whole of Europe,” Mr. Zelenskyy tweeted.

Russian occupation forces are trying to seize the #Chornobyl_NPP. Our defenders are giving their lives so that the tragedy of 1986 will not be repeated. Reported this to @SwedishPM. This is a declaration of war against the whole of Europe.
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) February 24, 2022

Anton Geraschenko, an adviser to Ukraine’s Interior Ministry, wrote on Facebook that Russian forces stationed in Belarus have entered the Chernobyl site but are meeting resistance from the Ukrainian national guard.

“If the invaders’ artillery hits and ruins/damages the collectors of nuclear waste, radioactive nuclear dust can be spread over the territory of Ukraine, Belarus, and the country of the EU!” Mr. Geraschenko wrote.

The site, home of the world’s worst nuclear disaster in 1986, still houses nuclear waste. Officials have expressed fears in recent days that artillery shells could cause a leak that would be catastrophic.

• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.