Moscow said its military goals have been achieved on Thursday after President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion at dawn. “All of the tasks assigned to the groups of troops of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation for the day were successfully completed,” said Defence Ministry spokesperson Igor Konashenkov.

As previously reported, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country’s military forces in Kyiv were fighting Russian troops for control of the Chernobyl nuclear plant – where the world’s worst nuclear disaster took place 36 years ago. “Russian occupying forces are trying to take over the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. “Our soldiers are giving their lives so that the tragedy of 1986 does not happen again,” he said Ukraine President Zelensky.

Zelensky referred to the attack as a “declaration of war on all of Europe.” Later, the country announced that Russian forces had captured the nuclear power plant after a fierce battle. “After the absolutely senseless attack of the Russians in this direction, it is impossible to say that the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is safe. “This is one of the most serious threats to Europe today,” said Mykhailo Podolyak, the advisor to the chief of the presidential administration. Earlier, Ukraine’s ambassador to South Africa, Liubov Abravitova, said the Russian attack on Chernobyl may cause another ecological disaster. “If Russia continues the war [Chernobyl] can happen again in 2022.”