World Affairs International

The eighth day of the war in Ukraine has been a harrowing day, as Russian troops shelled the nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhia.

On the 28th of February, though it was claimed Russia had taken the plant, the Russian convoy was turned back by citizens who barricaded the roads. Protests continued on the 1st of March, but on the 2nd of March, Russian troops began attempting to disperse the ground, shooting and throwing grenades. And on the 3rd of March, unable to wait any longer, Russian troops pushed for the power plant, shelling it as they approached.

During the shelling, an administrative building caught fire, and firefighters were not immediately allowed in. Though there is presently no risk of a containment breach, Russian and Ukrainian forces’ lack of knowledge and significant cooperation threatens a disaster. As of 1:27 AM, it is reported that Russian troops have taken the powerplant.

The development was met with both exaggerated fearmongering and ignorantly calmed downplaying. For one, it is improbable that an attack on any Ukrainian power plant would be “10 times worse than Chernobyl”, as was reported by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. That being said, many denizens of the internet played down nuclear fears, as if the direct shelling of a nuclear facility was not only incredibly dangerous but somehow not a war crime.

On the contrary, attacks on infrastructure as important tell of an even worse development; the very real capability for Putin’s orchestration of genocide by surrounding cities and destroying their critical resources. In Mariupol, the only light was from the explosions constantly rocking the city. Similarly, Kharkiv glows an eerie, hellish light, and Kyiv’s convoy is estimated to arrive today.

Likely in reaction to both this and Lukashenko’s map blunder, Moldova and Georgia have both opted to apply for E.U. membership. For Moldova, it may not come in time; but it will help NATO allies coordinate how to supply Moldova before Russian troops reach the border with Transnistria.