A fire was caused at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station in Ukraine after Russian troops attacked the plant, CNN says.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky appealed to Russian citizens to protest over Russia’s military seizure of the facility, while UK prime minister Boris Johnson called on Russia to “immediately cease its attack” on the power station.
The scenario has left people questioning how many nuclear power reactors there are in Ukraine.
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How many nuclear plants are there in Ukraine?
There are four large nuclear reactors in Ukraine, as well as a total of 15 reactors. Nuclear power is the primary source of electricity in the country, accounting for around half of total generation. In Europe, the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is the biggest.
In 2006, the Ukrainian government announced intentions to increase the country’s nuclear power capacity by 2030 by building 11 reactors. The Khmelnitsky reactor will be completed by the US corporation Westinghouse in 2021.
WHAT HAPPENED?
On March 4th, Russian troops stormed the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, causing a fire and raising fears that a nuclear accident could occur.
Russia has already taken control of the Chernobyl nuclear power facility and is purportedly advancing on a third site, the South Ukraine nuclear power plant, according to the BBC.
According to Zelensky, the Russian military committed a “terror assault” in an online post.
He wrote: “Russian tanks, equipped with thermal imaging, are firing at the atomic blocks. They are well aware of their target. Prepared for that for a long time (attack).
“Ukraine has 15 nuclear reactors. If either of them goes off, it’s the end of the world as we know it, including Europe. The entire continent of Europe must be evacuated. Only Russia has ever attacked the reactors of an atomic power facility. It’s the first time in history that this has ever happened.”
Ukrainian state-owned energy business Energoatom’s Petro Kotin has warned of the implications if fresh attacks occur.
“Any shell that hits (the plant) will cause a nuclear holocaust,” he added. This poses the greatest threat. As a result, as soon as the shelling began, we began putting the power units into safe mode.
To ensure the safety of the nuclear fuel, two power units were isolated from the grid and cooled.
Who is Andrei Sukhovetsky, A Russian general killed in the Ukraine-Russia conflict?
According to military sources, Sukhovetsky, a Russian commander, was killed in action by Ukrainian forces, according to Fox News.
Although the Russian Ministry of Defense has yet to acknowledge his death, his colleague Sergey Chipilev has declared it on social media anyhow.
So far, the reports have shown the following.
RUSSIAN GENERAL REPORTEDLY DIES IN UKRAINE-RUSSIA CONFLICT
Kremlin-backed General Andrei Sukhovetsky’s death was first reported by Pravda. However, there are little data available at the time of this writing about whether the high military official was killed in battle, as reported by a Russian source.
Sergey Chipilev, a representative of the Combat Brotherhood Russian veterans group, verified Sukhovetsky’s death on social media.
Our friend Major General Andrey Sukhovetsky was killed in Ukraine during the special operation,” Chipilev wrote in a statement. His family is in our thoughts and prayers at this time.
WHO IS ANDREI SUKHOVETSKY?
The Ryazan Higher Airborne Command School, where Andrei Sukhovetsky attended, awarded his diploma in 1995, according to Pravda. As a platoon leader, he was promoted to the position of commanding officer for the Guards Airborne assault unit.
According to the Independent, the 47-year-old was the highest-ranking member of the armed forces to lose his life thus far in the fight. Before that, he was a soldier in Syria.
Sergei Sukhovetsky served as the Russian 7th Airborne Division commanding general, while also serving as a deputy army commander.
What An Attack On A Nuclear Power Plant Could Mean For Ukraine:-
THE LATEST IN UKRAINE-RUSSIA CONFLICT
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Thursday, February 24th, more than 1.2 million people have fled the war.
The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power facility, Europe’s largest, was assaulted by the Russian military in the early hours of Friday, March 4th, causing a fire and raising fears of a catastrophic disaster.
Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, called for Russians to show their displeasure at Russia’s military seizure of the nuclear power plant.
Boris Johnson, meanwhile, stated he had a conversation with Zelensky regarding the issue. He made the following statement:
Emergency responders must have unrestricted access to the power facility immediately, and Russia must promptly cease its attack on it.
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