Officials say Ukraine no longer in control of Chernobyl site

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A presidential adviser says Ukraine lost control of the Chernobyl nuclear site, where Ukranian forces had waged a fierce battle with Russian troops.

Adviser Myhailo Podolyak told The Associated Press that Ukrainian authorities did not know the current condition of the facilities at Chernobyl, the site of the world's worst nuclear disaster.

“After the absolutely senseless attack of the Russians in this direction, it is impossible to say that the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is safe,” he said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had announced several hours earlier Thursday that Russian forces were trying to seize the Chernobyl nuclear plant.

A nuclear reactor at the plant 130 kilometers (80 miles) north of Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, exploded in April 1986, spewing radioactive waste across Europe.

The exploded reactor was covered by a protective shelter several years ago to prevent radiation leaks.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The Russian Defense Ministry has confirmed that its ground forces have moved into Ukraine from Crimea, the first confirmation from Moscow that its ground forces have moved in.

Russia previously said only that it unleashed air and missile strikes on Ukrainian air bases, air defense batteries and other military facilities. The ministry said it has destroyed 83 Ukrainian military facilities.

For the first time since the start of the action, Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov confirmed the Russian ground troops had rolled into Ukraine, saying they advanced toward the city of Kherson, northwest of Crimea.

Kherson sits on reservoir providing the bulk of fresh water for Crimea until Ukraine cut it off with a dam in 2017 in response to Moscow’s 2014 annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula.

Konashenkov said that the Russian troops’ move allowed to resume water supply to Crimea.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia launched a wide-ranging attack on Ukraine on Thursday, hitting cities and bases with airstrikes or shelling, as civilians piled into trains and cars to flee. Ukraine's government pleaded for help as it said Russian tanks and troops rolled across the border in a “full-scale war” that could rewrite the geopolitical order.

President Vladimir Putin ignored global condemnation and cascading new sanctions as he unleashed Moscow’s most aggressive action since the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and chillingly referred to his country’s nuclear arsenal. He threatened any foreign country trying to interfere with “consequences you have never seen.”

Ukrainian officials said their forces were battling Russians on a series of fronts.

“Russia has embarked on a path of evil, but Ukraine is defending itself and won’t give up its freedom,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy tweeted.

Later, he offered Russia an end to the hostilities.

“It wasn’t Ukraine that chose the path of war, but Ukraine is offering to go back to the path of peace,” he said.

Zelenskyy, who earlier cut diplomatic ties with Moscow and declared martial law, described Russian forces advancing on multiple fronts, including a “difficult situation” developing in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, just over 20 kilometers away from the eastern border with Russia, and Russian troops slowly advancing from the north on the city of Chernihiv. He said a Russian airborne unit at an airport just outside Kyiv, the capital, was being destroyed.

He appealed to global leaders, saying that “if you don’t help us now, if you fail to offer a powerful assistance to Ukraine, tomorrow the war will knock on your door.”

Zelenskyy said Russian forces were trying to seize the Chernobyl nuclear plant, site of the world's worst nuclear disaster. Large explosions were heard in the capital and in other cities, and people massed in train stations and took to roads, as the government said the former Soviet republic was seeing a long-anticipated invasion from the east, north and south.

The chief of the NATO alliance said the “brutal act of war" shattered peace in Europe, joining a chorus of world leaders who decried the attack, which could cause massive casualties, topple Ukraine’s democratically elected government and upend the post-Cold War security order. The conflict was already shaking global financial markets: Stocks plunged and oil prices soared amid concerns that heating bills and food prices would skyrocket.

Condemnation rained down not only from the U.S. and Europe, but from South Korea, Australia and beyond — and many governments readied new sanctions. Even friendly leaders like Hungary’s Viktor Orban sought to distance themselves from Putin.

A senior U.S. official said the U.N. Security Council was expected to vote Friday on a resolution condemning Russia for the attack and demanding the immediate withdrawal of its forces. The vote will proceed even though the legally binding measure will almost certainly be vetoed by Russia, said the official, who wasn't authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

While some nervous Europeans speculated about a possible new world war, the U.S. and its NATO partners have so far shown no indication they would join in a war against Russia. They instead mobilized troops and equipment around Ukraine’s western flank — as Ukraine pleaded for defense assistance and help protecting its airspace.

In Washington, President Joe Biden convened a meeting of the National Security Council on Ukraine as the U.S. prepares new sanctions. Biden administration officials have signaled that two of the measures they were considering most strongly include hitting Russia’s biggest banks and slapping on new export controls meant to starve Russia’s industries and military of U.S. semiconductors and other high-tech components.

The attacks came first from the air. Later Ukrainian authorities described ground invasions in multiple regions, and border guards released footage showing a line of Russian military vehicles crossing into Ukraine’s government-held territory. European authorities declared the country’s airspace an active conflict zone.

In a worrying development, Zelenskyy said Russian forces were trying to seize the Chernobyl plant, and a Ukrainian official said Russian shelling hit a radioactive waste repository and an increase in radiation levels was reported. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter.

Other governments did not immediately corroborate or confirm the claims.

The plant was the site of the world’s worst nuclear accident when a nuclear reactor exploded in 1986, spewing a radioactive cloud across Europe. The plant lies 130 kilometers (80 miles) north of the capital of Kyiv.

After weeks of denying plans to invade, Putin launched the operation on a country the size of Texas that has increasingly tilted toward the democratic West and away from Moscow's sway. The autocratic leader made clear earlier this week that he sees no reason for Ukraine to exist, raising fears of possible broader conflict in the vast space that the Soviet Union once ruled. Putin denied plans to occupy Ukraine, but his ultimate goals remain hazy.

Ukrainians who had long braced for the prospect of an assault were urged to shelter in place and not to panic.

“Until the very last moment, I didn’t believe it would happen. I just pushed away these thoughts," said a terrified Anna Dovnya in Kyiv, watching soldiers and police remove shrapnel from an exploded shell. “We have lost all faith."

With social media amplifying a torrent of military claims and counter-claims, it was difficult to determine exactly what was happening on the ground.

Associated Press reporters saw or confirmed explosions in the capital, in Mariupol on the Azov Sea, Kharkiv in the east and beyond. AP confirmed video showing Russian military vehicles crossing into Ukrainian-held territory in the north from Belarus and from Russian-annexed Crimea in the south.

Russian and Ukrainian authorities made competing claims about damage they had inflicted. Russia’s Defense Ministry said it had destroyed scores of Ukrainian air bases, military facilities and drones, and confirmed the loss of a Su-25 attack jet, blaming it on “pilot error.” It said it was not targeting cities, but using precision weapons and claimed that “there is no threat to civilian population.”

Ukraine’s armed forces They reported at least 40 soldiers dead, and said a military plane carrying 14 people crashed south of Kyiv.

Poland’s military increased its readiness level, and Lithuania and Moldova moved toward doing the same. Border crossings increased from Ukraine to Poland, which has prepared centers for refugees.

Putin justified his actions in an overnight televised address, asserting that the attack was needed to protect civilians in eastern Ukraine — a false claim the U.S. had predicted he would make as a pretext for an invasion. He accused the U.S. and its allies of ignoring Russia’s demands to prevent Ukraine from joining NATO and for security guarantees.

He called the military action a “forced measure” stemming from rising security risks for Russia.

Anticipating international condemnation and countermeasures, Putin issued a stark warning to other countries not to meddle.

In a reminder of Russia’s nuclear power, he warned that “no one should have any doubts that a direct attack on our country will lead to the destruction and horrible consequences for any potential aggressor.”

Among Putin’s pledges was to “denazify” Ukraine. World War II looms large in Russia, after the Soviet Union suffered more deaths than any country while fighting Adolf Hitler’s forces.

Kremlin propaganda paints members of Ukrainian right-wing groups as neo-Nazis, exploiting their admiration for WWII-era Ukrainian nationalist leaders who sided with the Nazis. Ukraine is now led by a Jewish president who lost relatives in the Holocaust and angrily dismissed the Russian claims.

Putin’s announcement came just hours after the Ukrainian president rejected Moscow’s claims that his country poses a threat to Russia and made a passionate, last-minute plea for peace.

The attack began even as the U.N. Security Council was meeting to hold off an invasion. Members still unaware of Putin’s announcement of the operation appealed to him to stand down. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres opened the emergency meeting, telling Putin: “Give peace a chance.”

But hours later, NATO’s Jens Stoltenberg indicated it was too late: “Peace on our continent has been shattered.”

https://news.yahoo.com/russia-attacks-ukraine-defiant-putin-055130690.html


Lalasticlala, OAM4J, Mynd44

It was foreseen...and the west are still there announcing yeye and ineffective sanctions on Russia.
When they ought to have deploy troops in there ASAP.

I still stand by my word.. Russia will never achieve it's evil motive on Ukraine...this is not the end this is just the beginning..
We are ready to take the battle to any extent..

Las las, na Buhari go settle this war.




















I don run o

silverlinen:
It was foreseen...and the west are still there announcing yeye and ineffective sanctions on Russia.
When they ought to have deploy troops in there ASAP.

It's a difficult situation.
There is still ample opportunity for talks which will be in everyone's interest.

What is certain however is that Russia will suffer graver consequences should Kremlin rebuff peace entreaties and allow this madness escalate.

This alone shows who is winning.

Ukraine must be brought down to her knees! What the idiot at Kiev is trying to do is to bring Russias arc enemies straight to the Russian borders. That is evil. If Mexico does that, America will assassinate the Mexican president. Cuba tried that during the Cuban missile crises and the sanctions imposed on Cuba by the western world since then, are still in existence. Russia has got every right as a super power to vigorously and violently push back against this well orchestrated western attempt to undermine her security. What is NATO looking for at Russias border? If you attack a NATO country, by the spirit of the NATO treaty, every NATO country must join to attack you.. That will be the case if the Ukrainians join NATO.. Some of you starry eyed Nigerians who don't understand how these things work can be in Lagos blaming Putin, but he's not the one who is trying to send missiles to Mexico. They brought trouble to his doorstep. He was forced to act..


Again, I'm in support of a world with more power centers. If you guys are not tired of western domination, I'm . From slave trade to colonialism, to imperialism and neo colonialism, the West and her thirst for grabbing other peoples resources and killing as much innocent people as they can in the process, is unquenchable. Africa has suffered most. I think the only period in world affairs that African countries had the space to exist and develop, was during the USA vs USSR days. All you need to do is to choose a block then and operate in peace. Since the demise of the USSR, the west has turned Africa into a slave camp. Now we have China and Russia and other emerging economies. We have tried a world dominated by one super power. Let's try a world with different power centers. Let Russia thrive, let China thrive, let the developing world have some peace and space to breathe..

Europe in trouble. Very strategic place

The last accident at that plant caused Europe countries alot

Hmmmm

Make these people no just spoil our shine for us o

bigpriik:
This alone shows who is winning.

This sort of war hardly ever produces a winner.
Those fueling it have other objectives than just winning.

Some countries are better left alone.

You just don't go and look for the trouble of USA, same way you shouldn't go and look for Russia's trouble.

You go collect very badly. That's what is about to happen to Ukraine.

If I were the Ukrainian President, na to begin beg stylishly.

Who pass you pass you.

Even the Bible recommends you negotiate with an enemy nation if you realize they have more men than you do.

[img]https://c./YS6St_xCRN4AAAAC/popcorn-eating-popcorn.gif[/img]

if Russia takes control of that plant that means Russia is holding Europe to ransom

Rugaria:
Ukraine must be brought down to her knees! What the idiot at Kiev is trying to do is to bring Russias arc enemies straight to the Russian borders. That is evil. If Mexico does that, America will assassinate the Mexican president. Cuba tried that during the Cuban missile crises and the sanctions imposed on Cuba by the western world since then, are still in existence. Russia has got every right as a super power to vigorously and violently push back against this well orchestrated western attempt to undermine her security. What is NATO looking for at Russias border? If you attack a NATO country, by the spirit of the NATO treaty, every NATO country must join to attack you.. That will be the case if the Ukrainians join NATO.. Some of you starry eyed Nigerians who don't understand how these things work can be in Lagos blaming Putin, but he's not the one who is trying to send missiles to Mexico. They brought trouble to his doorstep. He was forced to act..


Again, I'm in support of a world with more power centers. If you guys are not tired of western domination, I'm . From slave trade to colonialism, to imperialism and neo colonialism, the West and her thirst for grabbing other peoples resources and killing as much innocent people as they can in the process, is unquenchable. Africa has suffered most. I think the only period in world affairs that African countries had the space to exist and develop, was during the USA vs USSR days. All you need to do is to choose a block then and operate in peace. Since the demise of the USSR, the west has turned Africa into a slave camp. Now we have China and Russia and other emerging economies. We have tried a world dominated by one super power. Let's try a world with different power centers. Let Russia thrive, let China thrive, let the developing world have some peace and space to breathe..

Some of U jus come online and rant anyhow... UKRAINE CHOOSE TO JOIN NATO AFTA RUSSIA SEVERALLY TRIED TO INVADE WITH THE MOST RECENT BEING HOW THEY ANNEXED CRIMEA

Nbotee:


Some of U jus come online and rant anyhow... UKRAINE CHOOSE TO JOIN NATO AFTA RUSSIA SEVERALLY TRIED TO INVADE WITH THE MOST RECENT BEING HOW THEY ANNEXED CRIMEA

What do you know? You are just another brainwashed zombie gobbling up every western narrative dumped on you by western news outlets.. You are not proactive in terms of defending your funny country Nigeria and that's why it's globally regarded a shythole..

Ukraine has the right to join Alshabab or ISIS. That's her right as an independent country. But it's also her neighbors right to weigh the consequences o such pursuit and take appropriate actions. It's because Nigeria allowed countries like Cameroon and Chad to allign with all sorts of imperialistic powers that you have all sorts skirmishes in your country today.

Russia is doing the right thing..

Propaganda

Game over!
The EU better now appeal to Russia to slow down else the whole Europe will be in a big mess. I don't know why u need to prop an army u know that is in a weak point to dare a super power just same way u prop on Georgia that year. I also don't know the reason why the West stylishly de arm Ukraine of their Nuclear assets this is still a point of concern and a very stupid and foolish move they would have allow them have and serve as a buffer to any aggression. well e don happen their eyes don come down hope other countries would learn from these western hypocritical way of doing things

None of Buharis business...
Nah me go come put body?

Since USA won't allow China or Russia to have Military base in
Canada,Mexico,why will Russia or China allow USA to do so in
Ukraine and Taiwan ?

The consequence of this War...."There will be a new world order where Russia and China will be
world leaders and communism will trump democracy all over
the world"