President Zelenskyy Accuses Russia Of Holding Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant ‘hostage’

Zelenskyy said all programmes to ensure the safety and security of the Nuclear plant are "doomed to failure" if the Russian soldiers do not withdraw from the nuclear plant.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday said Russian troops continue to hold Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant hostage, reported news agency Reuters. He also warned that the safety of the plant could not be guaranteed until the troops left from the location. Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces closed the Avdiivka town. Zelenskyy said, as quoted by Reuters, "Holding a nuclear power station hostage for more than a year is surely the worst thing that has ever happened in the history of European or worldwide nuclear power." 

The Russian troops have continued to occupy Europe's largest nuclear power plant since the early phase of the invasion of Ukraine. They have not indicated leaving the area and its control.

Zelenskyy has described the presence of Russian troops in the region and the plan as "radiation blackmail,"as reported by the news agency Reuters.

His remarks come after a meeting with the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi on Monday. The meeting took place at the Dnipro hydroelectric power station which is located northeast of the Zaporizhzhia plant.

Commenting further on the matter, Zelenskyy said all programmes to ensure the safety and security of the plant are "doomed to failure" if the Russian soldiers do not withdraw from the nuclear plant.

Both countries have been accusing each other of shelling at the Zaporizhzhia plant. Since last September, a team of IAEA has been stationed near the plant.

Grossi has urged for the safety of the plant and the area around it on a repeated basis. He is also expected to visit the plant this week, reported Reuters.

Meanwhile, his attempts at negotiating the peace deals between both sides have been harder and more difficult.

Zaporizhzhia is one of the four other areas that Russia annexed in September last year after conducting a referendum that was seen as an excuse by the international community. Moscow says the nuclear plant areas around it belong to them, which is strongly denied by Ukraine.

Russia has accused Ukraine of putting the safety of the plant at risk. Russia said last month the construction of protective structures for key facilities at the Zaporizhzhia plant were nearing completion.