Russia rejects calls to demilitarise the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine
The Zaporizhzhia plant is the largest in Europe and has been under Russian control since March
Ukraine'srequests to completely demilitarise the area surrounding the Zaporizhzhia nuclear reactor in southern Ukraine have been turned down by Russia.
A Russian official claimed that the action would increase the plant's vulnerability.
As both sides accuse one another of bombarding the area, safety at the complex, which is Europe's largest nuclear plant, is a big concern.
As per CNN, the plant is run by Ukrainian employees and has been in Russian hands since March.It was one of the first locations Russian forces captured after invading Ukraine on February 24.
After meeting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday in Lviv, UN Secretary General António Guterres raised alarmand cautioned that any potential harm to Zaporizhzhia would be a suicide.
The largest nuclear power station in Europe needs to be demilitarised, the Ukrainian president pleaded with the UN. The facility "must not be used as part of any military activity," Guterres continued.
The UN chief's worries were mirrored by Erdogan, who told reporters that he was concerned about the possibility of "another Chernobyl" tragedy erupting at the plant.
The calls come as Ukrainian employees at the site, who are working there under Russian guidance, have expressed concern about a possible nuclear accident there, claiming that over the past two weeks, the facility has been "the subject of constant military attacks."
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