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LAST UPDATE | 4 Mar 2022
RUSSIAN FORCES SEIZED control of Europe’s largest nuclear power plant today after a battle with Ukrainian troops that caused a fire and fears of a catastrophic accident.
The Ukrainian nuclear regulator said that the fire had been extinguished and no radiation leak had been detected, with site staff still able to work at the Zaporizhzhia site.
“The Zaporizhzhia NPP site has been seized by the military forces of the Russian Federation,” the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine said, in a statement.
“The fire was extinguished by the Ukrainian State Emergency Service units. Information on the dead and injured is absent.”
Earlier, fighting had erupted between Russian invasion forces pushing towards the city of Zaporizhzhia and Ukrainian defenders, causing a blaze at the plant and global alarm.
The power station is located in southern Ukraine on the Dnipro river and produces a fifth of Ukraine’s electricity.
Any fire in a nuclear plant revives memories of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, also in Ukraine, which left hundreds dead and spread radioactive contamination west across Europe.
Of the six reactors at Zaporizhzhia, the agency said, one is in operation and producing power, one has been turned off and four are being cooled to prevent overheating.
The regulator did not say, however, what each reactor’s status had been before the fire.
An on site inspection is being carried out by Ukrainian staff.
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg decried Russia’s “recklessness” over the shelling of the plant and demanded Moscow stop the war against its neighbour.
“Overnight we have also seen reports about the attack against the nuclear power plant. This just demonstrates the recklessness of this war and the importance of ending it and the importance of Russia withdrawing all its troops and engaging good faith in diplomatic efforts,” Stoltenberg said ahead of a meeting with Western foreign ministers.
Allies are meeting today for a busy day of diplomacy in Brussels looking to keep the pressure on after hitting Moscow with a wave of punishing sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine.
NATO members have rushed thousands of troops to eastern Europe to bolster the alliance’s flank closest to Russia and are sending weapons to help Ukraine defend itself.
But NATO has ruled out intervening militarily over fears of getting into a direct conflict with Moscow that could spiral into nuclear war.
That has so far included rebuffing Ukrainian calls for a no-fly zone to be imposed over their country to halt bombings by the Kremlin’s forces.
“We know that our red line is to make sure that there’s no international conflict,” said Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly.
“At the same time, I would say that we want to make sure that scenarios are being discussed, and we want to make sure also, that throughout the alliance, and throughout all the countries that support Ukraine, that we can have discussions, because we need to stop this war.”
The ministers holding talks at NATO, the European Union and G7 today are to take stock of the impact of sanctions on Russia and weigh tougher steps including calls to hit Russia’s key oil and gas exports.
“Everything remains on the table,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock insisted more sanctions would be on the way against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle.
“Beyond the three severe packages of (EU) sanctions that we have already decided on, we will take further measures that target Putin’s centre of power,” she said.
But key European powers such as Germany remain reluctant to target Russian energy exports that make up some 40 percent of gas and 10 percent of oil coming to the EU.
Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney also denounced the attack on the power plant today.
He said: “Russia’s attack on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station is utterly reckless. Russia’s military activity in the area must cease immediately. This is a grave threat to the European continent.”
Russia’s attack on the #Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station is utterly reckless. Russia’s military activity in the area must cease immediately. This is a grave threat to the European continent. Our full support to the @iaea and DG @rafaelmgrossi in their essential work. @dfatirl https://t.co/BPaYnJwBOu
— Simon Coveney (@simoncoveney) March 4, 2022
‘Nuclear terror’
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Moscow of resorting to “nuclear terror” and wanting to “repeat” the Chernobyl disaster after he said invading Russian forces deliberately attacked the nuclear power plant.
Ukraine’s emergency services said it was able to put out the fire after the Russian military eventually allowed rescuers to access the site.
“At 6.20am (4.20am Irish time) the fire in the training building of Zaporizhzhia NPP in Energodar was extinguished. There are no victims,” the emergency services said in a statement on Facebook.
Zelensky had earlier begged world leaders to wake up and prevent Europe from “dying from a nuclear disaster” after Russian forces attacked the continent’s largest plant.
“No country other than Russia has ever fired on nuclear power units,” he said in a video message released by his office.
“This is the first time in our history. In the history of mankind. The terrorist state now resorted to nuclear terror.”
Zelensky said the troops had knowingly fired on the nuclear facility.
“These are tanks equipped with thermal imagers, so they know where they are shooting,” said Zelensky.
The station at Zaporizhzhia, an industrial city in the southeast, supplies an estimated 40% of the country’s nuclear power and, according to Zelensky, houses six of Ukraine’s 15 reactors.
Ukrainian emergency services had earlier raised alarm that Russian troops were preventing them from reaching the fire at the plant.
“The invaders are not authorising Ukrainian public rescue units to begin extinguishing the fire,” the emergency services said on Facebook, stating that the blaze had affected a “training building” and that only one of the reactors was operational.
Local officials had reassured the UN’s atomic watchdog that “essential” equipment at the station was unaffected and radiation levels were normal.
Ukraine’s nuclear facilities have been a main point of concern after Russia’s military invaded the country last week and began bombarding cities with shells and missiles.
The Zaporizhzhia plant is located in the southern Ukraine steppe on the Dnieper River, around 525 kilometres south of Chernobyl.
“If there is an explosion, it is the end of everything. The end of Europe,” Zelensky warned. “Only immediate European action can stop Russian troops.”
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Id be more concerned that none of them have a set of balls
‘Disaster’ might be over-stating it.
Perhaps so, but when the Government can’t even be bothered showing lip service to the language it’s pretty worrying.
Meh, the vast majority of the country couldn’t care less, the issue gets far too much attention given its lack of actual importance.
Don’t say ‘Meh’
ok pffff then
Men and women died so we could speak a language and they wont even bother to learn it or even show respect. Its a disgrace. ‘Tìr gan teanga, Tìr gan anam’
Who died?
“Men and women died so we could speak a language and they wont even bother to learn it or even show respect. Its a disgrace. ‘Tìr gan teanga, Tìr gan anam’
We’ve had 100 years of irish being force fed down our throats, and still only 70,000 speak it daily.
If 20 million died, they died for a cause at that time. It’s not my cause, and I’m not responsible for it.
What a total load of nationalistic rubbish.
Well Fiachra, the goverments(both this and the last one) have not paid lip service to the people on bigger issues such as the economy, bank bailouts and the future Irish generations, with all due respect, this is pretty trivial in comparison
@john sharpson what an assh-le you are, men and women fought for this country to rid us of colonialism and a foreign rule and just not to preserve the irish language. The irish proclamation was all inclusive and not exclusive, those Irishmen who fought in world war one should be equally remembered for their bravery and their representation of this wonderful country in ww1, they had courage not like a cowardly keyboard cretin like you.
Clearly you never heard of the Easter rising or the war of independence, a country without its language is a country without its soul.
Yea that’s right, the Easter rising and the civil war was all about preserving the language,,, sorry i forgot..
A country preoccupied with language is not a country but a bunch of a…holes manipulating the populous for their own ends.
If i don’t see a shamrock and a leprechaun at least once a week i forget i am Irish. happens to us all….
For you maybe. What about the people who’s daily language is Irish. Majority Rules as usual and the vast majority of the country couldn’t care less about anything
Seriously how is this an issue? Most of the country don’t have knowledge of Irish. Flogging a dead horse here.
Gen – is a new Troll !!!!
aithnionnn ciaróg ciaróg eile
Woah calm down there sonny, you’ll blow too soon.
Old troll, new name…
Can they please discuss actual proper important issues!
I don’t give a flying monkey’s if a TD from any party has no word of Irish, what I care about is if they get the job done.
SF need to get their priority’s in order!
Couldn’t agree more, Martin. Absolutely farcical intervention on the part of this man – and to think I had begun to consider voting for Sinn Fein! If I, as an English speaker, am going to be subjected to fascism under Sinn Fein I’m going to have to do a lot of re-thinkin.
How many times have you been forced to speak Irish in Ireland? I and my neighbours – we live in an Irish speaking district – are forced to speak English in their business with the State. Is that facism? Should I be forced to abandon my birth and constitutional right because the State does not cherish it?
If you took care to learn English properly, you might have a point.
‘But he insisted that there was a far greater amount of people …’
Number of people – not amount. There’s something to be said for good English.
Aye, is beag Teachta Dála atá in ann Béarla a labhairt na laethanta seo.
Other then a handful of people out in the sticks in the west of Ireland, I doubt anybody cares whether our Ministers can speak Irish or not. And if they do care then they need to get out more!
Speak for yourself
Spot on darnell,
The important thing here is can the TD do their job, after that I don’t care if they speak french instead of Irish as a second language
Typical D4 type ignorant smart Alec reply from Darnell – you foolish Troll
French would be more useful for a minister Martin!
Im sure youd give a shit if they spoke french and not english…..
I’m not sure Karen, I was better at French after five years of school than my Irish was after thrirteen years!
I am not from Dublin 4 lol. Im just saying what most people are thinking. Sorry I hit a nerve, I’m just an ignorant Dublin jackeen-what would I know?!
Darnell
You shouldn’t rise to the Sinn Fein bait. Remember they operate in groups or cells and have seriously infected this particular site. You didn’t hit a nerve but instead you hit a learned comment point.
No he speaking for the majority of this hell hole of a country … It’s a useless dead language and should be removed from all walks of irish life … Gaelic nonsense
“Richard” and KKK – the leading lights in conspiracy theories – and a laugh a minute too – a chara !
old clichéd old crap from you there ciarraioch you don’t have to be from D4 to harbour similar views,some of us are even from Kerry and are even educated but may have a difference of opinion, does that make me a troll or does it make you a condescending oppressive dimwit.
Agus cén teangacha eile a labhraíonn tú féin, anseo nó thar lear? And what other languages do you speak?
Sure if they started speaking Irish there would be loads of “oh, that was a language error, I meant to say something else”.. I’m so over this boring debate! It’s a dead language, let it die!
I actually was proficient in English and the science subjects, physics,chemistry and biology and had little interest In irish, I actually preferred latin which was just about useful as irish but more relavent in my profession.
Wether a person is an Irish speaker or not is not an affective way to judge if they are good enough to hold high office. It’s desirable but nothing more.
Why is it desirable?
Its desirable to the few thousand irish spreakers, its a waste of time to everyone else
Its desirable to people who think you cant be irish without speaking irish. in fact, these days it has nothing to do with being irish at all. its just a hobby for a few idiots in aran jumpers (cable knit, the woolen umbilical cord back to the garden of eden)
Idiotic comment.
Perfectly put Andrew!
Surely it’s better to be bilingual than monoligual
lack of ethics, no problem. Cant speak Irish hell to pay…..
Actually they give out regularly about FG/FF and labours lack of ethics
Can’t speak ordinary English let alone irish
Focall Irish speaking ministers…tut tut..
Years of symbolism hasn’t done anything to revive the Irish language.
What do we need? More symbolism…
I have made a commitment to go back and learn it later this year, I feel that Ireland is in a poorer place cultural than ever before and the global elite wish to keep us devoid of heritage and historical continuity, the Irish language is rich in its interpretation of the world, but I honesty feel that to learn it is to give two fingers to the new world order of the EU and multiculturalism, both of which destroy Nations.
culturally – a pity the Journal does not have an edit capacity.
Tir gan teanga, tir gan anam as my old CB used say as he buggered his way around the classroom
A bit of a saga there Snorre I say.
They have taken away your national identity, bankrupted your nation, and knackered your nation for 50-100 years to come and all the misery that involves.
And you complain about the loss of a dead language!
Unfortunately you have a good point. The same dimwits we had 90 years ago are still with us.
If they really wanted to make that point, they should do ALL their Dáil speeches as Gaeilge. They would probably make the same amount of sense as the ones they give in English.
It would help to keep the majority of us in the dark.
I wonder how much this will cost us after Sinn Féin insist on having the full transcript of their exchange with Bruton translated into Irish and then have it photocopied 500 times per constituent – as is their constitutional right!
I wouldn’t worry about the cost of photocopying as SF have loads of print cartridges.
Can’t believe we’re paying them to have this argument.
That’s the disgrace.
I don’t trust them when they are speaking English and if any of them start speaking Irish I really will start to worry. SF/IRA use it to deceive. If SF/ IRA really were determined to promote Irish let them speak only Irish in the chamber and at council meetings – see how that works with voters. They have no conviction only to power at any cost.
They should be more concerned that there was no minister available who gives to shites about the people of this country
Lm Group
Try practicing your English before you post. The progress one can make in a short time can be remarkable. I could recommend a good person to assist you.
This government is crap in any language!
Cronyism, corruption and skimming of “Charities” by Government party officials……. WTF
The solution to this problem is having MORE primary school teachers in government. There, how do you feel about that?
SF will have non-Irish speakers “re-educated” in special camps.
Judging by how they treat their own whom they suspect of supporting law and order do’;t envisage a nice time.
SS camps come to mind.
The competence deficit is the issue.
Not gaeilge tokenism
Typical Paddys attack the man for speaking his own language in his own country during a designated Irish week. Cromwell and his army did a good job on the Irish . Conservative/Tory governments and the most subservient country in Europe . Rule Britannia for the mongrel paddys.
So are you saying I’m not Irish if I don’t speak Irish?
i learned to hate the irish language.i cant stick it even stick it for ten seconds.it all started in in 2002,when i start going to thailand a coulple of times every year.anyway i use to come home via aerlingus from amsterdam. i was depressed off me nut after saying goodbye to all the little honeys.and then it would start,the dreaded irish language on the plane and the rude air hostesses with the caked on make up. it was then i would know i was back to reality
The world is a little sadder because you said that
You must not know much about t he world!
It seems you don’t have much affection for English either.
sorry nobby
Dave – are you a cousin to Richard Rogers – he has hangups peculiar to you too ?
Stick with the lady boys then Dave
Thats what this government is about,ridding use of as much irishness as they can,nearly trying to make the word catholic a dirty word,but this is Ireland we have our culture and our nationality,but i believe Shatter has a big hand in all this anti Irishness,he is desperately trying to diversify our population as quick as he can,in 2011 their was 112,000 people from outside the Eu who`s visa`s were due to expire,and would off had to leave Ireland,but Shatter quickly changed the rules and let them stay,with the promise they could apply for citizenship in 5 yrs.Shatter is despised by most Irish people and he has no Irish blood in him,so he does`nt give a toss about Ireland and its indigenous people,while spineless Kenny looks on,and lets him do as he likes.
Staighttalker
I don’t really know how to respond to that post! Perhaps I should recommend that you should get out and about a little as you seem to be unable to express yourself in a comfortable way. Maybe you should slow down and try to make real sentences rather than splurging with words. Finally you should try to remove any public expressions of hatred in your contributions and racism is a real no no!
PS…a name change would be a good idea !
@richard Rodgers
Keep your opinions to yourself you idiot , just because you are a lackey for kenny and co . And haven’t got the guts to stand up for what you believe in you politically correct tool.
Straighttalker, you’re a cod. A cod for all to see.
@Genocidal capitalist
How many aliases do you have fool,you might need to get help for that!
Just the one you pleb. Then again you are a vile disgusting piece of filth. One can only laugh at your sad little xenophobic rants. Oh and while you accuse Shatter of having no Irish blood in him, where is your passport? Kind of hoping they don’t give them to the village idiot like yourself.
upset have i,you pathetic delinquent ,you have all the hallmarks of a spoiled rich kid,you ignorant fool.
And you have the grammatical capabilities of a child. Having said that, it wouldn’t surprise me that you are a child given the depth of your argument. As for rich kid; I’m rich in the knowledge that I’m far superior to you in every way.
heh, ‘keep your opinions to yourself’ …. oh dear
I should have said a vile nasty rich kid who`s full of shit,and a complete coward as well,call my bluff tool,come on
Grand, come down to Stephens Green. Just make sure the locals don’t ask you to leave because of the smell of bullsh*t off you.
Are you sure mammy will let you out, you horrible piece of shit, it’s getting late , you’d be better of trying to educate yourself you sad baxtxard
I love the irony of someone of your intellectual capabilities stating that I should educate myself. Try reading your last post, and I mean try because I know learning a new language can be difficult.
I’ll ask your mammy, after I pull out.
Geno – you write identically like your other five aliases – very hard to hide gross ignorance !
So you base who you think I am from my writing style? Ignorance is bliss for you kid.
I think the church has been doing a great job of making “Catholic” a dirty word all on its own, without any help from the Government
Who gives a shit, oh my god surely there are more serious matters than an irish speaking minister, again more bullshit from the media, great job
Even as an Irish speaker and a supporter of the language, I have to agree with you.
I don’t think taking a petty swipe at the govt over it is doing the language any favours. There’s so many bigger issues.
Besides, the fact that that shower of mutts can’t speak it kinda makes it a lot cooler!
Sf should head to high court and complain. We spend too much on a lame language that is no longer relevant in global business.
Do they not teach Irish @ Clongowes?
One thing I can’t understand. What do most Irish people have against being able to speak a two languages? It is the norm in most of Europe. But we are so proud that we can barely master one and even then not able to adjust our English when necessary to be understood by people from other countries. We are so proud that we are thick.
Don’t look to UK, USA , Australia……..see the real world, where multilingualism is no problem
This is the worst thing ever in the history of the country, ever.
WE ARE DOOMED.
sure we might aswel rejoin the empire!
Opposition really struggling…
O’Really – O’Reilly – you are a laugh a minute after your lot disgracing themselves over the past few weeks !
Have Shatter and Callinan followed Frank Flannery yet ?
Whatever Kerry. Btw, despite you spelling your name as geailge, and being a devout shinnerbot, not a word of Irish in any of your posts in defense of the language! Typical Sinn Fein double speak…
Irish speaking TD’s are usually teachers and teachers make terrible TD’s.
True, but that’s because they are only qualified as teachers, not because they are Irish Speakers
WE SPEAK ENGLISH IN THIS COUNTRY
Tá an Ghaeilig á labhairt sa tír seo fosta…
What Country Des ? Are you abroad ?
Ciarraioch i dont know if you have noticed,but we are all speaking english to each other here,you stupid bogger.go and talk irish to your sheep
Des you are a CLOWN. Tá an Ghaeilge fós beo is mairfidh sí go deo
It’d be great if they were all bilingual in the Dail. Then they could tell lies in two languages.
I’d also be very interested to know how many of the people vehemently complaining about them ‘wasting time’ and ‘not getting the job done’, among other things, would have been actually interested in the outcome of Leaders Questions today had this little cause for debate not arisen.
What I can’t understand is why so many people who have no connection or use for the Irish language are so dead set against it. I can appreciate anybody being apathetic, it’s not for everyone and there’s plently of things that don’t affect me in this country that I couldn’t give a damn about, but I never make it my business to go out of my way and be detrimental to those things just because..! Can people not just let those who are ar son na Gaeilge have their say and if you don’t care, don’t bother. Surely it takes more energy to b*tch and moan about it than it does to just move on to something else more pertinent to your own life? Ní thuigim, ach tuigim nach bhfuil aon maitheas ann a bheith ag tráchtáil anseo ach an oiread.
I thought that roly poly Rabbitte could talk irish, he can talk a lot of rubbish.
Sounds like a one off situation as so many are out of the country for St Patricks stuff – think generating jobs and investment for the country is marginally more important than some weekly charade
Can we please put the Irish language to bed once and for all.. Like religion, if you want to speak Irish please do so, in the privacy of your own home but don’t expect my children to learn it. Furthermore do not accuse people of being less Irish because they don’t speak it. Show some respect. And more importantly do not hijack my heritage of revolution and fighting against oppression with some narrow minded socialist Republican mantra.
A dead language is a language that noboby speaks. Irish is a very minority language, but not dead yet, unbelievably.
This is a Government which never misses an opportunity to miss an opportunity to promote Irish. No doubt their missions abroad are important and may yield jobs and investment but they could have avoided yesterday’s debacle with a little forward planning.
Opposition moan bags
Tom I’d say you are a bags yourself a blue bags I’d say.
Say Wallace and Ming have good Irish. Terrible to say that’s what they are arguing over now and the country on its knees.
nuari a fleiceann muid taria labhairt cant ar dteanga fine agus ansin gaire mar gheall air doesent a ra a lan faoi ce ni mor duinn running ar dtir na brit,s havent imithe ar shiul.
when we see a minster that cant speak our own language and then laugh about it doesent that say alot about whos runing our country the brits havent gone away.
How many of the opposition could ask a question in Irish??
Absolutely disgraceful, should use their St Patrick’s holiday money for Irish classes instead of going abroad. Shameful. Gaeilge Abu.
As FG’s National Campaign Director in the Seanad referendum, I noticed Mr Bruton never once used the word Seanad referring to it always as the Senate. Also he still hasn’t twigged that the government’s new service for the unemployed In-treo is based on the Irish and in interviews he pronounces it as ‘in-tree-o’, and for the government’s new employment scheme ‘Tús’ he pronounces it as ‘tus’! It’s hilarious when a government Minister can’t even pronounce the names of his own schemes properly. As far as I know the Minister is an ex-Clongowes boy – so maybe that explains it. The Jesuits were always intent on producing an English gentleman-type native Catholic ruling class to replace the old Protestant elite. They did a fair job too, didn’t they? … bail ó Dhia orthu. The Christian Brothers on the other hand were a more patriotic type, inculculating FF-type virtues as opposed to the Jesuitical FG ones.
Does anyone have a difficulty understanding what Kenny says on his all too infrequent addresses to the Dail Chamber?
What language is this?
Perhaps the vacuous language of political discourse.
A combination of vague waffle, corporate tongue and doublespeak.
have your say