Zelensky warns of ‘nuclear disaster’ in UN address

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday warned the United Nations General Assembly that Russia is preparing for potential attacks on nuclear power plants.

Zelensky said he recently was given intelligence that Russia was “aiming to disconnect the plants from the power grid with the help of satellites” as part of a larger strategy to bombard Ukraine’s energy grid during the winter months.

“Russia is getting images and detailed information about the infrastructure of our nuclear power plants,” he said in his speech before the U.N., warning any attack “could lead to a nuclear disaster.”

Zelensky added that it was vital for the international community “to put pressure on the aggressor” and halt any potential attacks.

“These are nuclear power plants, they must be safe,” he said.

It wasn’t immediately clear what nuclear power plants that Russia is allegedly preparing to attack, but Ukrainian officials have accused Moscow of threatening nuclear sites before. Ukraine has four nuclear power plants.

Russia occupies the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in southeastern Ukraine, the largest in Europe, which has become the site of immense concern to the U.N. nuclear watchdog group, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Both Russia and Ukraine have frequently traded accusations of planning acts of sabotage or attacks at that plant.

In April, the IEAE said drone strikes hit the Zaporizhzhia plant , but did not cause serious damage. Inspectors had traveled to the site and witnessed Russian soldiers engage drones at the plant, including one that caused an explosion near a reactor building. The agency warned the attacks underscored a serious threat.

Last month a fire broke out at the plant’s cooling tower, but it is unclear what caused it.

In July, the General Assembly adopted a resolution that called for Russia to return control of the Zaporizhzhia plant to Ukraine.

Russia also seized the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine in 2022, shortly after it invaded the country, but Russian forces were later beaten back by Ukrainian troops. Chernobyl was the site of the world’s worst nuclear plant disaster in 1986.

Zelensky said on Wednesday that the Chernobyl plant seizure was “one of the most horrifying moments of the war.”

“Now the Zaporizhzhia plant remains occupied by Russian forces,” he said. “And it’s at risk of a nuclear incident. This is the major source of radiation danger in Europe, possibly in the world.”

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