Ukrainian authorities say that the Russian occupiers of Energodar, the town that serves the Zaporizhzhya NPP, have begun looting the town, destroying documents and taking with them things that can be taken to the expected counteroffensive of Kyiv, Ukrainian Pravda reports.
“They took equipment from medical institutions, computer equipment, documentation from the passport desk (…) cable internet is no longer working, grocery stores and pharmacies are not working, certain categories of goods, basic necessities are missing. Gas stations and ATMs are also empty,” Dmytro Orlov, the Ukrainian mayor of the city, told RFE/RL.
He added that in anticipation of a counteroffensive by Ukrainian troops, the occupation authorities had already started removing or destroying documents from the city for several days.
His comments came after the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Mariano Grossi, said late last week that the situation around Europe’s largest Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant was becoming increasingly dangerous and that UN agency experts were constantly hearing shelling in the area.
“The situation around the Zaporizhzhya NPP is becoming increasingly unpredictable and potentially dangerous,” Grossi warned, as quoted in the IAEA statement.
The Russians began evacuation in the area of the city of Energodar
On Friday, the head of the region Yevgeny Balytskyi, appointed by Moscow, announced the partial evacuation of 18 Russian-occupied settlements in the Zaporizhzhia region, including Energodar. But this is cause for concern.
The Mayor of Melitopol, Ivan Fedorov, condemned the too quick “evacuation” in Telegram on Saturday. According to him, huge queues formed at the Chongar checkpoint on the Melitopol-Crimea road. It was the same in Tokmok, where there were long queues for bread, and most gas stations ran out of gas.
According to Balytskyi, these “temporary” evacuations are aimed primarily at children with their parents, the elderly and the disabled, as well as hospital patients.
The Russian authorities plan to evacuate about 70,000 people from the occupied cities of the Zaporizhia region, another official of the occupation administration, Andriy Kozenko, who was quoted by TASS last week, said.
But the Russian-appointed Zaporizhia regional government also says it has no plans to abandon the nuclear plant, raising further concerns about its safety.
Follow the latest events of the 440th day of the war in Ukraine LIVETEXT on HOTNEWS.RO.
Source: Hot News
James Springer is a renowned author and opinion writer, known for his bold and thought-provoking articles on a wide range of topics. He currently works as a writer at 247 news reel, where he uses his unique voice and sharp wit to offer fresh perspectives on current events. His articles are widely read and shared and has earned him a reputation as a talented and insightful writer.