(TheRedWire.com) – The Ukrainian government announced that missile fire hit a radioactive waste disposal site near the country’s capital, Kyiv, as fighting continued in the region. The State Inspectorate for the Nuclear Regulation of Ukraine (SNRIU) announced workers at the facility took shelter in a bunker as shelling continued.
Experts won’t be able to assess the extent of the damage until the missiles stop, according to an SNRIU statement. The Russian Federation reportedly bombarded the site with “all types of weapons,” including anti-aircraft and missile weapons. The statement noted surveillance cameras were able to catch the missiles falling on the field even though the automated radiation monitors had failed.
Ukrainian scientists will assess the radiation levels in the area as soon as it’s safe to do so. The SNRIU said the radiation levels pose no threat to those outside the “sanitary protection zone,” also known as “RWD Radon.”
Russian Advance Toward Kyiv
The shelling is part of Russia’s advance toward Kyiv. More than 150,000 troops previously stationed outside Ukraine have all effectively moved in and are fighting inside the country. Russian President Vladimir Putin contends two regions of Ukraine that declared their independence asked Russia to be their peacekeeping force.
The Ukrainian government has asked its citizens to fight the Russians with any means, including improvised explosive devices like Molotov cocktails. Russian forces entering Ukraine are encountering strong resistance from the Ukrainian people and military. Reports of Russian tanks and armored vehicles running out of fuel have flooded social media.
Zelenskyy Refuses to Leave
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly refused to leave his country, instead opting to be the public face of the conflict. When US officials offered to evacuate the president, he told them, “I need ammunition, not a ride.”
Zelenskyy has since gone on to implore people from across the country to come to his aid, offering to arm anyone who will fight for Ukraine. “Be ready to fight for Ukraine in the squares of our cities,” the president said.
Ukrainian officials said their forces have killed approximately 5,300 Russian troops. They also claim to have incapacitated or destroyed 191 tanks, 29 fighter jets, 29 helicopters, and 816 armored personnel carriers. They claim nearly 200 Ukrainians, including 3 children, have been killed, with more than 1,100 wounded.
The situation escalated globally on Friday, as NATO activated its response force for the first time in history, which puts military hardware and thousands of troops at the ready. Putin called the move an escalation of hostilities.
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