Dutch politicians condemn "reckless" attack on Ukrainian nuclear plant

Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Foreign Affairs Minister Wopke Hoekstra, and various Dutch parliamentarians all condemned Russia's "reckless" attack on the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine overnight. Due to fighting in the area, a fire raged on the nuclear site for a short time.

"With the reckless and life-threatening attack Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, the Russian aggression in Ukraine continues to escalate. We must continue to stand shoulder to shoulder internationally. Unity in our response is of great importance," Rutte said on Twitter.

Rutte is going to London on Monday to discuss the situation with his British and Canadian counterparts, Boris Johnson and Justin Trudeau. On Thursday, he'll be in Paris to informally discuss the war with all European heads of government.

"The war in Ukraine has already claimed many civilian lives. Reports of illegal bombings of civilian targets and Russia's attack on the Zaporizhzhya nuclear plant are extremely concerning and reckless," Hoekstra tweeted. He is in Brussels today to discuss the Russian invasion of Ukraine with NATO and his EU colleagues.

"This is a war crime," said GroenLinks MP Tom van der Lee. According to him, Russian President Vladimir Putin "risks another Chernobyl." Party leader Jesse Klaver called it "horrific" news. "Every morning, we wake up with a new nightmare."

"Never before in world history were soldiers ordered to shoot a nuclear power plant," D66 party chairman Jan Paternotte tweeted. "Putin is not only putting the safety of Ukrainians at risk."

"Total, but really total madness to fight near a nuclear power plant," said PvdA MP Joris Thijssen. "And that in the country where the Chernobyl reactor exploded."