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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of “nuclear terrorism” on Sunday as Ukraine marked the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster while facing deadly new Russian drone attacks.
Three people were killed across Ukraine after Moscow launched more than 100 drones overnight, Ukrainian officials said.
In a social media post marking the Chernobyl anniversary, Zelenskyy said Russia, through its invasion, was “again bringing the world to the brink of a man-made disaster.”
He said Russian drones regularly pass over Chernobyl and that one struck its protective shell last year.
“The world must not allow this nuclear terrorism to continue, and the best way is to force Russia to stop its reckless attacks,” Zelenskyy said.
The 1986 explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant was the worst civilian nuclear disaster in history and changed global views of nuclear energy.
Thousands are estimated to have died from radiation exposure, though assessments of the exact human toll vary.
About 600,000 people involved in the cleanup operation, known as “liquidators,” were exposed to high levels of radiation.
A 2005 U.N. report put confirmed and projected deaths at 4,000 in the three worst-affected countries. Greenpeace estimated in 2006 that the disaster had caused close to 100,000 deaths.
Russian strikes across Ukraine killed three people and wounded at least four others Sunday, Ukrainian officials said.
In the northeastern Sumy border region, a Russian drone attack killed two civilians, according to the head of Sumy’s regional military administration, Oleg Grygorov.
“The enemy struck civilians in the territory of Bilopillia community—near one of the settlements, less than 5 kilometers from the state border with the Russian Federation,” Grygorov said on Telegram.
He said the victims were two men aged 48 and 72.
In the central-eastern city of Dnipro, drone and artillery attacks killed one person and wounded four others, regional military administration head Oleksandr Ganzha said.
He said homes and vehicles were damaged in the attacks.
Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 144 drones overnight, of which 124 were downed.
On Saturday, Ukrainian authorities said at least eight people were killed in Dnipro, which was struck by waves of Russian attacks for 20 hours straight.
Earlier Sunday, the Moscow-installed governor of Sevastopol in Russian-annexed Crimea said a man was killed in a vehicle during a Ukrainian drone attack.
The governor said several homes and a dance school were damaged in different neighborhoods of the port city.
He said Russia shot down 43 drones in the attack.
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