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Chernobyl Power Plant Has Been Captured By The Russians, Ukrainian Official Says

Servicemen take part in a joint tactical and special exercises of the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ukrainian National Guard and Ministry Emergency in a ghost city of Pripyat, near Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant on February 4, 2022. (Photo by Sergei Supinsky / AFP) (Photo by SERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP via Getty Images)

Photo by SERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP via Getty Images

Shelby Talcott Senior White House Correspondent
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Russian forces have reportedly captured the Chernobyl power plant, an adviser to the Ukrainian presidential office said Thursday.

The announcement coincides with a full Russian invasion of Ukraine that began early Thursday after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced “a special military operation in Donbas.” (RELATED: War Begins As Russia Engages In Full-Scale Invasion Of Ukraine)

Shortly after Putin’s announcement, the Russian military descended upon Ukraine via land, sea and air, The New York Times reported. U.S. officials have predicted that Putin’s goal is to fully dismantle the Ukrainian government and replace Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy with someone controlled by Russia, the newspaper added.

This photograph taken on December 8, 2020 shows a monument in front of the giant protective dome built over the sarcophagus of the destroyed fourth reactor of Chernobyl nuclear power plant. - More than three decades after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster forced thousands to evacuate, there is an influx of visitors to the area that has spurred officials to seek official status from UNESCO. Officials hope recognition from the UN's culture agency will boost the site as a tourist attraction and in turn bolster efforts to preserve ageing buildings nearby. (Photo by GENYA SAVILOV / AFP) (Photo by GENYA SAVILOV/AFP via Getty Images)

This photograph taken on December 8, 2020 shows a monument in front of the giant protective dome built over the sarcophagus of the destroyed fourth reactor of Chernobyl nuclear power plant. (Photo by GENYA SAVILOV / AFP) (Photo by GENYA SAVILOV/AFP via Getty Images)

Amid a continued Russian attack against Ukraine, the Ukrainian president has tweeted out updates. In one, he reported that “Russian occupation forces are trying to seize the” Chernobyl power plant, a highly radioactive zone with a nuclear reactor that melted in 1986 and sparked the worst nuclear reaction disaster in history.

“Our defenders are giving their lives so that the tragedy of 1986 will not be repeated,” Zelenskyy tweeted. “This is a declaration of war against the whole of Europe.”

Roughly two hours later, adviser to the Ukrainian presidential office Mykhailo Podolyak said the power plant had been captured by Russian forces, according to Reuters.

“It is impossible to say the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is safe after a totally pointless attack by the Russians,” Podolyak warned. “This is one of the most serious threats in Europe today.”