Putin Expands Russian Army as Zelenskyy Says Ukraine Escaped Nuclear Disaster

Zelenskyy urged international bodies to force Russian troops to vacate the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station.

Putin and Zelenskyy. 

(Photo: The Quint)

More than six months into the war with Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Thursday, 25 August, which could see more than 1,35,000 service personnel added to the Russian military in the coming months.

The decree states that "the numerical size of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation should be set at 2,039,758, including 1,150,628 military personnel."

According to the current rules, Russian men aged from 18 to 27 are part of the call-up, but they often use medical exemptions or enroll themselves in higher education to evade conscription.

On the other hand, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday, 26 August, that the world narrowly escaped a radiation disaster after Europe's largest nuclear power plant, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station in southeastern Ukraine, was cut off from electricity supply.

Zelenskyy urged international bodies to force Russian troops to vacate the site after Russian shelling sparked fires in the ash pits of a nearby coal power station.

"If our station staff had not reacted after the blackout, then we would have already been forced to overcome the consequences of a radiation accident," the president said during his video address.

Additionally, Zelenskyy spoke to US President Joe Biden on the phone, during which the latter "reaffirmed the United States' continued support for Ukraine and provided an update on the ongoing provision of security assistance, including yesterday's announcement of nearly $3 billion to support Ukraine’s defense capabilities for the long term," according to the White House press release regarding the call.