The Ministry of Health of Ukraine appealed this Friday to the population not to panic and warn against taking iodine-containing pills after the statement of President Volodymyr Zelensky accusing Moscow of preparing an “attack” on the occupied nuclear power plant.
Zelenskiy’s statements released on Thursday about the risk of an attack on the nuclear power plant in Zaporozhye (southeast), Europe’s largest and occupied by Russian troops since March 2022, sparked a new wave of concern in the country marked by a nuclear crisis. The disaster at Chernobyl in 1986.
“Our special services have received information according to which Russia is preparing a scenario for a terrorist attack at the Zaporozhye power plant with a radiation leak,” Zelensky said.
The Kremlin immediately commented on this accusation, calling it a “lie.”
After the statement of the President of Ukraine, the Ministry of Health published recommendations on Telegram to be followed in the event of a nuclear incident, recalling that iodine tablets would not be needed.
“Read and share, but don’t panic. Don’t play the enemy’s game,” the ministry urged. “President Zelensky has not said anything new. Russia is a terrorist country that, like a monkey with a grenade, can expect anything.”
In a second statement released this Friday, the Ukrainian ministry warned against the undesirable effects of iodine-containing tablets. “Uncontrolled intake of potassium and iodine is dangerous” and can lead to “serious consequences” and “even death,” he insisted.
Demand for iodine pills “increased by 100-150%” after Zelenky’s speech, according to a Kyiv pharmacy employee, the AFP news agency reported.
Iodine tablets are intended for the prevention of thyroid cancer in the event of radioactive releases caused by a serious nuclear accident. The drug does not protect against radioactive elements such as cesium 134 or 137.
The military offensive launched by Russia on February 24, 2022 in Ukraine has so far caused the flight of more than 14.7 million people – 6.5 million internally displaced persons and more than 8.2 million to European countries – from, according to the latest UN data , which classifies this migration crisis as the worst in Europe since the Second World War (1939-1945).
The Russian invasion, justified by Russian President Vladimir Putin on the need to “denazify” and demilitarize Ukraine for Russia’s security, was condemned by the international community at large, which responded by sending weapons to Ukraine and imposing political and economic sanctions on Russia.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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