Biden and Zelensky discuss Russia’s attack on Zaporozhye nuclear power plant in late conversation
- Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, 350 miles south of Kyiv, was shelled by Russian forces in the early hours of Friday morning.
- Joe Biden and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, spoke by telephone late Thursday night in the District of Columbia to discuss the situation.
- Ukraine’s foreign minister has desperately called on the Russians to end the shelling, saying fire crews cannot access the site
- The International Atomic Energy Agency has called for an end to hostilities, but said it has seen no evidence of rising radiation levels.
President Joe Biden talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodomir Green on Thursday night to discuss Russia’s shelling of Europe’s largest nuclear power plant.
IN the White House has been monitoring the situation, officials said, without giving details of the call.
“POTUS is talking to President Zelensky tonight to get up-to-date information on the fire at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant,” the White House tweeted.
“He joined President Zelensky in calling on Russia to end its military activities in the area and allow firefighters and emergency workers to have access to the site.
“POTUS also spoke tonight with the Deputy Secretary of Nuclear Security of the US Department of Energy and the administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration to get up-to-date information on the situation at the plant.
“The president will continue to be kept informed.”
The Zaporozhye plant, 350 miles south of the capital Kyiv, was partially set on fire Thursday night and early Friday morning – although the fire was thought to be in an administrative building used for training, not a reactor.
The plant has six reactors. It is unclear whether the nuclear fuel rods remained in the reactors or were shut down.
Nuclear experts urgently called for an end to the battle, saying that if the plant’s electricity was cut off, it could cause a devastating accident.
In the early hours of Friday morning, a building at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant was on fire. The structure is believed to be an office building, not a reactor
Photos from a live broadcast of the Dnieper River show powerful explosions illuminating the night sky in the early hours of Friday
Joe Biden spoke with Volodymyr Zelensky in Washington on Thursday night and the two discussed the attack on the nuclear power plant
Even if the reactors were shut down and the nuclear rods placed in cooling pools, the pools required large amounts of water and electricity, said Joseph Cirinsione, who has worked on nuclear weapons policy in Washington for more than 35 years.
The International Atomic Energy Agency said on Thursday night that they were deeply concerned, but stressed that no increase in radiation levels had been reported.
“The #Ukraine regulator tells the IAEA that no changes in radiation levels have been reported on the #Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant’s website,” they tweeted.
the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine,
Advertising