Zelensky warns of radioactive and chemical hazards amid fighting in Ukraine

11:42, 23.03.2022 1 min read

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has warned of the danger of radioactive and chemical contamination during the ongoing hostilities in Ukraine.

Speaking via video link to the Japanese parliament on Wednesday, he recalled that thousands of tonnes of contaminated materials were buried in the exclusion zone of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant. "On February 24, Russian armored vehicles drove across this land, raising radioactive dust," he said, adding that Russia uses a 30-kilometer zone to prepare attacks on Ukraine's territory.

Zelensky also recalled the shelling of Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe. "The other day, Russian troops fired on a chemical plant. There was an ammonia leak. "We are being warned about possible chemical attacks, in particular, with the use of sarin, as was the case in Syria," the President of Ukraine said.