UNITED NATIONS: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday charged before the United Nations that Russian President Vladimir Putin is planning to attack nuclear power plants in Ukraine, warning of catastrophic consequences.
Zelensky addressed the United Nations General Assembly, sounding the alarm over Russian plans to target nuclear power plants in Ukraine.
In his speech, delivered in English, Zelensky said that intelligence reports indicated Russian President Vladimir Putin was preparing attacks aimed at disconnecting these critical facilities from the national power grid.
“Recently I received yet another alarming report from our intelligence. Now Putin does seem to be planning attacks on our nuclear power plants and the infrastructure,” Zelensky stated.
He emphasized the grave risks associated with any disruptions to Ukraine’s energy system, warning that “any critical incident in the energy system could lead to a nuclear disaster. A day like that must never come.”
Zelensky said that Russia has been employing satellites to gather detailed intelligence on Ukraine’s nuclear infrastructure, heightening concerns over the potential for severe incidents. “These are nuclear power plants. They must be safe,” he stressed. He called for the international community to exert pressure on Russia to avert further aggression.
The Ukrainian leader also voiced his refusal to accept any peace deal imposed from outside Ukraine, specifically questioning the motivations of countries like China and Brazil, which have pushed for negotiations with Russia.
“Ukrainians will never accept—will never accept—why anyone in the world believes that such a brutal colonial past, which suits no one today, can be imposed on Ukraine now,” he asserted.
