Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre (AP) condemns the fighting at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant and says the attack that led to the fire is “along the lines of madness.”
Støre says that Norway is following the development related to Europe’s largest nuclear power plant.
“If there is an accident, it will take about 48 hours before it arrives in Norway,” he told Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK).
At the same time, he emphasizes that the incident shows the totally unacceptable nature of the war.
“This is along the lines of madness, to attack in this way,” Støre said.
Notified
Støre and Minister of Justice Emilie Enger Mehl (SP) were notified of the incident in Ukraine on Friday. Emergency services in Ukraine announced that the fire in the training building of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in Enerhodar was extinguished at 5:20 AM.
“There are people in Norway who have followed this ever since it happened and are working to follow the situation closely. We have contingency plans in case something happens,” Mehl told NRK.
Støre elaborated that Norway has access to Ukrainian measuring stations and contacts with Ukrainian professionals and international professionals. He says there is a notice period of about 48 hours from the time something potentially happens in Ukraine until it arrives in Norway.
But Støre emphasized that what is happening in Ukraine is serious, even if it does not affect Norway. He added that the nuclear power plant is a civilian target.
Huitfeldt’s reaction
Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt (AP) also reacted strongly to the incident.
“It is deeply irresponsible to fight in the vicinity of such a facility. It is absolutely crucial that those who work in the facility have access to it, so that they can secure it,” Huitfeldt told TV 2.
She further noted that Norwegian authorities had not received reports of leaked radioactive radiation.
“But this is completely ruthless behavior from Russia.”
Source: © NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today / #NorwayTodayNews
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PM Støre is absolutely right.
It may be that the nuclear plant is along the major north-south highway, but shelling a nuclear plant after the experience of Chernobyl is abjectly stupid, even if the Russian unit had been taking some fire from there.
There was no excuse whatsoever for this, and the Russian unit commander involved should be … demoted.