Chornobyl at risk?: Russian missiles fly near nuclear site

Ukraine has warned that Russian missiles and drones have repeatedly flown on trajectories close to the Chornobyl nuclear site, raising concerns over a potential major nuclear incident.

According to Ukraine’s top state prosecutor, Ruslan Kravchenko, Russian hypersonic missiles and drones have passed within close range of sensitive nuclear facilities, including the decommissioned Chornobyl plant and the Khmelnytskyi nuclear power station in western Ukraine, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.

Kravchenko said dozens of missile fly-bys have been recorded over the past two years, including cases where missiles reportedly came within around 20 kilometers of nuclear sites. He also claimed that some missiles fell to the ground during flight near nuclear infrastructure, although it remains unclear why.

Ukraine says these flight paths cannot be explained by military necessity and may be intended to intimidate or destabilize.

Russia has not commented on the latest allegations but has previously denied targeting nuclear infrastructure, saying its strikes are aimed only at military assets.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has repeatedly warned about the dangers of military activity near nuclear facilities, calling for maximum restraint to avoid the risk of a nuclear accident.

The concerns are heightened by the legacy of Chornobyl, the site of the world’s worst nuclear disaster in 1986, which continues to symbolize the long-term risks of radiation exposure in Europe.

News.Az 

By Aysel Mammadzada