Russian soldiers have entered the area surrounding the former nuclear power plant at Chernobyl, with reports suggesting that a nuclear waste storage facility there has been destroyed amind the fighting.
An adviser to the Ukrainian interior minister confirmed that Russian troops had reached the zoned from the direction of Belarus, while the country’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, said the invading force was attempting to capture Chernobyl.
“Russian occupation forces are trying to seize the Chornobyl nuclear power plant. Our defenders are giving their lives so that the strategy of 1986 will not be repeated,” said Mr Zelensky. “This is a declaration of war against the whole of Europe,” he added.
On Thursday24 February 2022, Ukrainian Ambassador to India Igor Polikha urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to play a more significant role in de-escalating the tensions with Russia as Modi and Putin share a mutual respect. Perhaps, Ukraine understands the hegemony of India and intends to utilise PM Modi’s goodwill to de-escalate the ongoing tensions.
However, Ukraine’s relationship with India was not at all rosy in the past as it is today. The ties between Ukraine and India has seen ups and downs, especially after India decided to go nuclear. It is important to remember that Ukraine was one of those countries that vehemently opposed India’s nuclear tests in 1998 and had condemned India’s actions at the security council following the 1998 nuclear test.
In 1998, the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led Indian government decided to conduct five nuclear tests and had stunned the world. The nuclear tests – ‘Operation Shakti’ set India on a road that made not just a nuclear power but also assured the country’s long time security interests.
But, Ukraine, along with 25 other countries, had stood against India’s security interests to express grave concern regarding India’s nuclear tests. Ukraine had also voted in favour of UN Resolution 1172 that had condemned the nuclear tests conducted by India.
