Ukraine calls for evacuation of Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant town
A view shows the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant during a visit by members of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) expert mission, in the course of Ukraine-Russia conflict outside Enerhodar in the Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine, in this picture released September 2, 2022. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)/Handout via REUTERS
KYIV — Ukraine on Wednesday called for the residents of Russian-occupied areas around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant to evacuate for their own safety.
Moscow and Kyiv accuse each other of shelling the nuclear plant, Europe’s largest, risking a nuclear disaster.
“I appeal to the residents of the districts adjacent to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant …. evacuate! Find a way to get to (Ukrainian) controlled territory,” Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said in a post on the Telegram messaging service.
The exiled Ukrainian mayor of Enerhodar, the main town serving the plant, said in a separate Telegram post that it was under fire from Russian forces and that the town had no electrical supply.
Russia denies targeting civilians and accuses Kyiv of shelling the nuclear plant.
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