Ukrainian intelligence officials warn that Russian President Vladimir Putin is preparing to stage an attack on the Chernobyl nuclear facility.
"Putin is ready to commit to the nuclear blackmail of the world community for the sake of actions to support Ukraine," the Ministry of Defense said on Facebook, according to a translation of the post.
As of Thursday, the United Nations was downplaying the threat of a nuclear catastrophe. The head of the U.N. nuclear agency said Thursday that he does not expect any side to intentionally target nuclear reactors, according to The Associated Press. However, he warned there is the risk of unintentional shelling.
Rafael Grossi added that the International Atomic Energy Agency has “a number of remote monitoring devices” working. According to CBS News, Russian forces took control of the Chernobyl site after launching their invasion in February. Chernobyl is the site of the world's worst nuclear disaster. It exploded in 1986, killing dozens of people and sending radiation into the atmosphere.
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