Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has sounded the alarm on a potential global nuclear catastrophe after Russian military forces severed power supplies to the Chernobyl nuclear facility.
The chilling development has raised fears of another radioactive disaster at the site of the world's worst nuclear accident, with cooling systems for spent nuclear fuel now relying on emergency backup power.
International Crisis Unfolding
In an urgent address, President Zelensky declared the situation at Chernobyl a "threat to the whole of Europe," emphasising that the compromised safety systems could lead to radioactive releases affecting neighbouring countries.
The power cut represents a dangerous escalation in the conflict, turning a contained nuclear site into a potential weapon of mass disruption.
Emergency Measures Activated
Ukrainian technicians are reportedly working against time to restore stable power to the plant's critical cooling systems. However, with Russian forces controlling the area, their ability to conduct necessary repairs remains severely limited.
Emergency diesel generators have been activated as a temporary measure, but these have limited fuel supplies and cannot guarantee long-term safety.
Historical Echoes of Disaster
The 1986 Chernobyl disaster remains etched in global memory, when a reactor explosion released radioactive contamination across Europe. While the damaged reactor has been contained within a massive sarcophagus, thousands of spent fuel rods still require constant cooling to prevent overheating.
International nuclear safety experts have expressed grave concerns about the situation, noting that any failure in the cooling systems could lead to radioactive releases that would not respect national borders.
