KYIV(AFP):Kyiv has urged Ukrainians not to panic or stockpile iodine tablets after President Volodymyr Zelensky alleged that Russia planned to organise a radiation leak at an occupied nuclear plant.
Zelensky said this week that Russian forces controlling Zaporizhzhia — Europe’s biggest nuclear plant — were planning a “terror attack” by orchestrating a radiation leak.
The Kremlin said it was a “lie” but the president’s warning put many Ukrainians on alert and sent demand for iodine at many pharmacies skyrocketing.
“Read and share but don’t panic! Don’t play the enemy’s game. President Zelensky said nothing new,” the Ukrainian health ministry said late on Thursday.
“Russia is a terrorist country from which, like a monkey with a grenade, you can expect anything.”
In a separate statement on Friday, the ministry warned against the adverse effects of incorrectly administering iodine, adding that it could even be fatal.
