Russia attacks nuclear facility AGAIN as troops fire rockets near Kharkiv atomic reactor
Despite the international warning against attacking nuclear facilities, Russian forces seem to continue their indiscriminate bombing in Ukraine. Days after setting fire to the Zaporizhzhia power plant, Russian forces fired rockets and missiles at the Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology, which is powered by an atomic reactor inside. Ukraine's national security service took to social media to raise the alarm about a "large-scale ecological disaster" if Russians continue their wayward warfare on nuclear plants.
On Sunday, March 6, Russian troops reportedly fired missiles at the Kharkiv institution from Grad launchers, which are notorious for not having precise targetting. Such an attack increases the chance of a rocket hitting the reactor and releasing nuclear radiation that can decimate the whole of Europe. Prior to this, Russian troops carried out a dangerous tank attack on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine, sparking fears of a disaster "10 times worse than Chernobyl". Zaporizhzhia is considered the biggest nuclear power plant in Europe. Live surveillance footage from the power plant showed flames engulfing the buildings as Russian tanks fired aggressively at them.
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The Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology is home to the Neutron Source nuclear research facility, which contains 37 nuclear fuel cells at its core. If exposed to fire and explosives, it can trigger a nuclear disaster beyond imagination.
Putin's forces have already been warned by international experts to steer clear of nuclear power plants but the advice seems to have fallen to deaf ears. While the fire at Zaporizhzhia was brought under control by Ukrainian forces and staffers at the plant, Russia appears to have resorted to desperate measures to win the war over Ukraine.
The US embassy in Kyiv declared on Friday, March 4, that Russia's shelling of a nuclear plant in Ukraine was a "war crime." A disturbing footage obtained by CNN from inside the Zaporizhzhia plant showed employees at the plant begging Russian troops to stop shooting. "Stop shooting! You are endangering the security of the entire world!" one yelled. CNN also reported that Russian troops were preparing to advance to the Yuzhnoukrainsk Nuclear Power Station in Mykolaiv Oblast after successfully seizing the Zaporizhzhia plant.
Meanwhile, shocking reports have surfaced from Chernobyl and Zaporizhzhia plants where Russia has kept the workers as hostages, making them work round the clock to avert a nuclear meltdown. Horrifying stories of ill-treatment and abuse are surfacing from Chernobyl, as Russian forces in charge are believed to be subjecting hostages to live under extreme conditions. They are being provided with only one meal of porridge a day, and are allowed to sleep for barely two hours, while all their communication has been cut off.