Ukraine PM urges no fly zone above country’s nuclear plants

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has joined Ukraine’s president in calling on the West to close the skies over Ukraine’s nuclear plants as fighting intensified around the city of Enerhodar.

Enerhodar is a major energy hub on the left bank of the Dnieper River and the Khakhovka Reservoir. It is home to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Europe’s largest, and accounts for about one quarter of the country’s power generation.

The mayor of Enerhodar, Dmytro Orlov, says a Russian military column was headed toward the nuclear plant and loud shots were heard in the city late Thursday.

On Wednesday, residents of the town gathered on a main road in a bid to block the Russians from reaching the plant.

The Ukrainian town of #Enerhodar, population 52,887, a fair share of which is now gathering along the main road to block the Russian troops from passing. pic.twitter.com/wXA8o2BAEt

— Michael Sender (@MichaelSender_) March 2, 2022

Unverified videos shared on social media purport to show fighting taking place near the town.

https://twitter.com/Archer83Able/status/1499485608951132166

Shmyhal says he already had appealed to NATO and the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations’ atomic watchdog.

“Close the skies over Ukraine! It is a question of the security of the whole world!” Shmyhal said in a statement Thursday evening.

The US and NATO allies have ruled out creating a no-fly zone since the move would directly pit Russian and Western militaries.

ToI contributed.