Russia says presence at Ukrainian power plant ensures no ‘Chernobyl scenario’

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Friday that the Russian military presence at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine is a guarantee against what he calls the “Chernobyl scenario”, referring to the 1986 nuclear disaster.

On Thursday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ivan Nechaev said the United Nations’ (UN) proposal to disarm the area around the nuclear power plant was “unacceptable”.

The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe, was occupied by Russia in March. It stands close to the front line and has come under fire several times in recent weeks, raising fears of a nuclear disaster. Both Russia and Ukraine accuse each other of bombing the facility.