Zelenskyy's Office on Zaporizhia NPP attack: "Every Russian soldier understood all possible consequences"
FRIDAY - 4 MARCH 2022, 12:11
The Office of the President of Ukraine believes that the Russian command could not have been unaware of the threat that a large-scale tank attack on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant posed to all of Europe.
Source: comment by Andriy Yermak, adviser to the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Mykhailo Podoliak
Quote: "The Russian command must have been aware about what the consequences would be if the Russian army attacked the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. The largest nuclear power plant in Europe, by the way.
The consequences, risks, volumes of destruction - everything was thought out by the Russians in advance. That is, literally every Russian military officer involved in this attack was well-aware of all the possible consequences. And this must be taken into account when trying to understand the motives of the Russians’ actions in Ukraine."
Quote: "Russia is deliberately blackmailing the world with a nuclear catastrophe. Never before has any state tried to blackmail using a massacre at a nuclear power plant by waging hostilities.
Any shot from a tank, any hit by a missile or air bomb on the station can lead to a terrible catastrophe. Zaporizhzhia NPP is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe. If something irreparable happens there, it will be at least six times worse than Chernobyl."
Details: Podoliak gave a reminder that Volodymyr Zelenskyy had been in touch with world leaders all night. All partners supported Ukraine and were shocked by Russia's actions.
The President's Office also called on the world to immediately step up sanctions against Russia.
Quote from Podoliak: "If a state blackmails the world with a nuclear catastrophe, it must bear maximum responsibility."
What happened earlier: the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant site has been captured by Russian troops, and they control the administrative buildings and the entrance to the plant.