Ukrainian President Zelenskyy said that Russian forces are inching towards the Yuzhnoukrainsk nuclear power plant after attacking Zaporizhzhia and capturing Chernobyl. Meanwhile, key cities are still under Ukrainian control.
Ukrainian soldiers help families flee Kyiv (Photo: AP)
During a call with US senators on Saturday, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russian forces have seized two Ukrainian nuclear power plants and are advancing towards a third.
However, he maintained on Saturday that Ukrainian forces were holding onto key cities in the central and southeastern part of the country, while the Russians were trying to block and keep encircled Kharkiv, Nikolaev, Chernihiv and Sumy.
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NUCLEAR PLANTS
On Saturday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Yuzhnoukrainsk nuclear power plant, located 120 kilometers (75 miles) north of Mykolaiv, is under threat.
The two plants that have been attacked by Russian forces are already the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in the southeastern city of Enerhodar and Chernobyl. The latter is not active but is still staffed and maintained.
Technical safety systems are intact and radiation levels are still normal at the Zaporizhzhia plant, according to the country’s nuclear regulator.
Ukraine has four nuclear plants with a total of 15 reactors.
‘RUSSIA’S WORST NIGHTMARE’
On Saturday, Ukraine President Zelenskyy claimed, “We’re inflicting losses on the occupiers they could not see in their worst nightmare.”
He alleged that 10,000 Russian troops were killed in the ten days of the war. On Wednesday, the Russian military revealed a death toll of nearly 500.
“This is horrible,” Zelenskyy said. “Guys 18, 20 years old … soldiers who weren’t even explained what they were going to fight for.”
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Air Force said five Russian aircraft and four helicopters were downed on March 5. Ukraine now claims a total kill count of 44 planes and 44 helicopters.
(With inputs from AP)
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