Russian troops occupy the northern Ukrainian city of Slavutich. The city is home to workers at the inactive Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Kiev’s regional governor Oleksandr Pavliak made the announcement in a telegram on Saturday.
The UN nuclear watchdog warned on Friday that fighting in the city would prevent workers from entering or leaving the plant.
Governor Oleksandr Pavliak said in a telegram that locals protested with Ukrainian flags after Slavutich was annexed by Russia. The Russian army dispersed them by firing blank shots and sound bombs.
Meanwhile, in an online post, the city authorities called on the residents of Slavutich to remain calm. The post said, “Occupying (Russian army) vehicles are patrolling the city in search of weapons. Please do not provoke them. Don’t put yourself in danger. ‘
Oleksiy Aristovich, an adviser to the Ukrainian president, noted that Slavovich had become the new center of the Russia-Ukraine war. Pointing to Saturday’s protests, he said in a televised speech that the city’s residents were bravely resisting the occupiers.
Earlier in the day, Ukraine reported that Russian troops had approached Slavotich. Before the war there were about 25,000 people living there.
