Early this morning, Ukraine President Zelensky warned that Russian occupation forces were reportedly trying to seize the Chernobyl exclusion zone.

Ukraine President Zelensky tweeted:

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

Russian occupation forces are trying to seize the #Chornobyl_NPP. Our defenders are giving their lives so that the tragedy of 1986 will not be repeated. Reported this to @SwedishPM. This is a declaration of war against the whole of Europe.

— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) February 24, 2022

Daily Mail reported about Ukrainian troops fighting Russian forces for control of the Chernobyl exclusion zone, 60 miles north of the capital Kiev, amid fears the battle could damage storage facilities holding nuclear waste sparking a fallout that could blanket Europe.

Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to the ministry of interior affairs, said shortly before 3 pm that Russian forces entered the zone and were ‘vigorously’ fighting with border guards units. ‘If storage facilities are destroyed, the radioactive cloud could cover Ukraine, Belarus, and the EU,’ he said.

Now, The Mirror is reporting that Russian troops in Ukraine have seized the Chernobyl power station and taken staff as hostages, according to local reports.

The Mirror -Now it appears Moscow has seized the site of the worst nuclear accident in world history with experts suggesting it is a key location as soldiers can now march directly to the country’s capital city.

Alena Shevtsova, the advisor to the Ukrainian presidential office, says the Russians are in control of the area and are holding the personnel hostage.

Russian soldiers are said to have attacked the radioactive area from the side of Belarus.

It comes hours after Russia launched its assault on neighboring Ukraine with forces attacking by land, sea, and air.

Dozens are said to have already been killed as shells were launched at its major cities.