Moscow, 11 August 2022 (TDI): Russia requested an urgent United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting on Thursday. The UNSC meeting addresses the shelling of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant. It will take place on August 12 in New York.
According to Russia, the shelling was backed by Ukrainian armed forces which can result in a large-scale catastrophe in Europe.
On the other hand, Ukrainian officials claim that regular shelling of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant was conducted by Russian forces.
Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant
The Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant has become the focus of attention in the war after Russia and Ukraine blamed each other for attacking it and damaging the radiation sensors.
The Zaporizhzhya plant is located in the Russian-controlled Ukrainian territory. It was shelled on Friday, August 5. It is the largest of Ukraine’s four nuclear power plants, which together provide about half the country’s electricity.
The Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, built between 1984 and 1995, is the largest in Europe. It is also among the world’s 10 largest nuclear power plants.
According to an IAEA database, Zaporizhzhya’s six units each have a net capacity of 950 Megawatts electric, or a total of 5.7 Gigawatts electric.
The plant is of strategic importance to Russia as it is only about 200 km from Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014.
The Russian forces captured the nuclear power plant during the initial stages of the war. However, Ukrainian technicians are the ones operating it during these times.
Russia’s War in Ukraine
Russia’s war on Ukraine began on February 24, 2022. Since then it has been met with international outrage. Attacks by Russian forces were reported in major cities across Ukraine, including Berdyansk, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, Sumy, and the capital Kyiv.
Western officials claimed that by scope, the war could be the largest in Europe since 1945. The EU, US, and the UK, among others, have implemented tough financial sanctions on Moscow.
More than 1.2 million people have fled Ukraine to neighboring countries, according to the UN refugee agency. The attack on Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant is among the number of unfortunate incidents of this war.
