Chernobyl nuclear power plant seized by Russia troops

SHAH ALAM - Russian forces have seized control of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant as of 1am today (Feb 25) Malaysian time.

According to the Ukraine Crisis media centre’s live update feed, it stated that Russian troops have captured the power plant and employees of the station were held hostage.

Adviser to the Ukrainian presidential office Mykhailo Podoliak said it was impossible to say whether the nuclear power plant was safe or not after a “totally pointless attack by the Russians”.

During the attacks itself, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said their defenders were giving their lives so that 1986 tragedy would not be repeated.

“This is a declaration of war against the whole of Europe,” he wrote in a Tweet.

This was followed by a tweet from his Foreign Ministry stating that this attack “may cause another ecological disaster”.

The Chernobyl power plant was the site of the world’s worst nuclear accident when a nuclear reactor exploded in 1986 sending radioactive contamination across Europe.

The plant is about 130km away from the main capital, Kyiv.

Internet users have expressed fears in regards to the ammunitions fired within the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone - lands surrounding the plant with high levels of radiation.

However, journalist Andrew Freedman from Axios stated that Russian soldiers were likely aware of the dangers and that their main aim was to secure the area in order to move the troops more directly to Kyiv.

After weeks of denying plans to invade, Russian President Vladamir Putin launched an operation into Ukraine.

Zelensky urged Ukrainian citizens to seek shelter and not panic.

AP quoted the Ukrainian armed forces that at least 40 soldiers were dead and a military plane carrying 14 people had crashed in south Kyiv as of 330am this morning.

Also according to AP, Poland, Lithuania and Moldova’s military has been reported to have

increased its readiness level, while border crossings increased from Ukraine to Poland, which had prepared refugee centres.