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Nuclear power plant alarm: The UN Security Council held an emergency meeting on Friday, where a senior UN official called for co-operation with the UN nuclear watchdog and for a safe passage to Ukraine.
This comes after a fire broke out at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine, triggered by Russian bombing sparking fears of a possible nuclear incident. Firefighters managed to extinguish the flames, despite being initially blocked by Russian troops, while radiation levels appear normal.
Tensions at the UN: At the emergency meeting, the Russian ambassador to the UN claimed that there were “lies about how Russian troops attacked the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant.”
The Ukrainian ambassador withdrew, calling his Russian counterpart a “liar” and saying the plant was damaged.
The U.S. ambassador to the UN said the world had averted a nuclear catastrophe on Friday, but warned that Russian troops were approaching Ukraine’s second-largest nuclear facility.
Airspace dispute: Despite pleas by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for NATO to establish a no-fly zone over Ukraine, US Secretary of State Blinken and NATO chief Stoltenberg rejected the request.
They warned that the only way to enforce a no-fly zone would be to “send NATO planes into Ukrainian airspace and shoot down Russian planes.”
Zelensky condemned NATO’s decision, saying it gave Russia the “green light” for further attacks on Ukrainian cities.
Military attacks in civilian areas: Ukraine’s major cities have been devastated by Russian military strikes. An apartment complex was hit in the northern city of Chernihiv.
Russian troops continue to surround Mariupol, a strategically important city on the south coast, and Kharkiv, the country’s second largest city in the northeast. A clash is continuing in the southern city of Mykolaiv.
Increasing number: There are at least 331 civilians, the UN estimates, although the real number may be much higher. More than 1.2 million refugees have fled Ukraine since the occupation began on February 24, with more than half entering Poland.
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