US senator calls Russia attack on Ukraine nuclear power plant a ‘war crime’ by Putin

US Senator Ed Markey has said Russia’s attack on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine amounts to a “war crime” by Vladimir Putin.

“This would be an international war crime by Putin that could result in incredible devastation,” the Democrat from Massachusetts tweeted shortly after a fire broke out at Europe’s largest nuclear facility early Friday morning in Ukraine following continuous shelling of buildings by Russian troops.

Although the fire was put out in a few hours, it led to fears of a catastrophic nuclear disaster that would be “ten times larger than Chernobyl” disaster of 1986. The regional authority announced later on Friday that the plant has been seized by Russian military forces.

“Russia’s horrifying attack on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant could result in a nuclear disaster spanning hundreds of square miles in all directions. Fallout doesn’t respect borders,” said Mr Markey, who is also the chair of subcommittees on clean air, climate and nuclear safety.

The International Atomic Energy Agency had also said that it was putting its “incident and emergency centre in full 24/7 response mode due to serious situation” at the nuclear power plant.

Earlier in the day, US president Joe Biden and UK prime minister Boris Johnson had demanded that Russian troops cease firing on the Ukrainian power plant and make way for emergency services.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of resorting to “nuclear terror” and wanting to “repeat” the Chernobyl disaster.

He said in a video message: “No country other than Russia has ever fired on nuclear power units. This is the first time in our history. In the history of mankind. The terrorist state now resorted to nuclear terror.”

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has entered the second week now and more than a thousand have been killed or wounded so far.

The United Nations has said that more than a million refugees have fled Ukraine since Russia ordered an invasion on 24 February.

Both sides — Russia and Ukraine — have agreed on the need for the humanitarian corridors to deliver aid and help civilians exit Ukrainian cities. Mykhailo Podolyak, Ukraine’s negotiator, said the two sides have agreed to set up “communication and cooperation lines as soon as possible to facilitate the evacuation of civilians.”

UK’s prime minister Boris Johnson had told Parliament that the bombing of innocent civilians “already fully qualifies as a war crime”. The International Criminal Court chief prosecutor, Karim Ahmed Khan, had said earlier this week that he wanted to open an investigation into possible “war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine”.

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