Russia: Situation Controlled at Chernobyl

Maria Zakharova, the Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman, said that Russian troops had the Chernobyl nuclear power plant under control alongside Ukrainian specialists and the National Guard.

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"Currently, control over the situation at the Chernobyl NPP is being exercised jointly by Russian servicemen, Ukrainian specialists, the plant's civilian personnel, and that country's National Guard," Zakharova said, clarifying that the allegations made by Ukrainians authorities about 20-fold radiation increase at the Chernobyl plant are not valid.

The spokeswoman noted that the Zaporozhye nuclear plant is also operating routinely and the situation in Energograd is calm. "The actions of the Russian military in this dangerous situation were motivated by the necessity to prevent a nuclear provocation from Ukrainian nationalists, who seem to have nothing to lose. They have been trained to do it. That is why Russian troops are taking Ukraine's nuclear facilities under control," she stated.

According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Ukraine had previously reported losing control over the Chernobyl nuclear plant, taken by Russian troops during the special military operation launched previously launched by Moscow. The Ukrainian side disclosed that the area around the Zaporozhye nuclear plant is under Russian troops' control.

On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a special military operation in Ukrainian territory, answering to heads of the Donbass republics' requests.

The operation ordered by the Kremlin had the objective to secure people "who have been suffering from abuse and genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years." The Russian leader was clear that Moscow had no plans to invade Ukraine.