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August 8, 2022

Russia and Ukraine Trade Blame over Attacks on Nuclear Power Site
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The International Atomic Energy Agency is warning of a potential nuclear
disaster at Zaporizhzhia, Europe's largest nuclear plant. Ukraine and
Russia are accusing each other of attacking the nuclear site twice since
Friday. Russia, which has occupied the plant since early March, said
shelling by Ukrainian forces could have "catastrophic consequences" for
Europe. Ukraine claims it was Russian forces who carried out missile
strikes on the nuclear plant in an effort to disconnect it from
Ukraine's electrical grid. Local residents called for an end to fighting
near the site, which is home to six nuclear reactors and thousands of
tons of highly radioactive materials.

Volodymyr Martynyuk: "As city residents, we call on the Russian army and
the Ukrainian Armed Forces to avoid open fighting in the area around
Enerhodar and within a 20-kilometer zone around the nuclear power plant.
We're talking about the safety of the entire planet, not just about the
safety of Ukraine, Belarus and Russia and nearby foreign countries."



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