Ukrainian officials claimed Saturday that Russian military took control of a hamlet where Chernobyl nuclear plant workers reside and temporarily imprisoned the mayor, provoking demonstrations.
“I’ve been set free. Everything is OK, to the extent that it can be under occupation” Yuri Fomichev, the mayor of Slavutych, told AFP by phone that he had been detained by officials in Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital.
Russian soldiers had infiltrated Slavutych and taken the municipal hospital, according to the military administration of the Kyiv area, which includes Slavutych. The mayor, they added, had been detained.
According to the government, residents flocked to the streets, holding a giant blue and yellow Ukrainian flag and marching towards the hospital. According to the report, Russian soldiers shot into the air and tossed stun grenades into the throng.
It also published photographs of dozens of people gathered around the Ukrainian flag and chanting “Glory to Ukraine” on its Telegram channel.
Later that day, Fomichev released a video on Facebook in which he stated that at least three people had died, but he did not elaborate on what had occurred.
He continued, “We haven’t yet recognized all of them,” but stated civilians were among the fatalities.
He said that while they had successfully defended their village, they were now facing a greater army.
On the same day that Moscow started its invasion of Ukraine, the Russian army took control of the Chernobyl nuclear power facility.
The village, which is 160 kilometers (99 miles) north of the capital and was established following the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear power plant tragedy, has a population of 25,000 people.
After Ukraine’s nuclear regulator told it that the town had been captured by Russian soldiers, the International Atomic Energy Agency said Saturday it was “closely following the situation.”
The UN nuclear watchdog expressed worry about Chernobyl workers’ capacity to rotate and return to their homes for relaxation.
“For over a week, there has been no personnel rotation at the NPP,” the IAEA added.
The town’s takeover follows the first personnel rotation at the Chernobyl nuclear power facility since Russia took control last weekend.
For over four weeks, about 100 Ukrainian technicians ran the daily operations at the radioactive facility without being rotated.
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