Romania donates over 1 mln potassium iodide pills to Moldova

The National Public Health Agency in Romania gave over a million potassium iodide pills used to counter the effects of nuclear radiation to health centers managed by the Moldovan Commission for Exceptional Situations as fighting around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine increases.

Ukrainian and Russian forces have recently accused each other of bombing in the vicinity of the nuclear plant. The fighting damaged radiation monitoring sensors, rendering Ukraine’s nuclear power agency Energoatom unable to guarantee the plant’s safety.

The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is Europe’s largest, and was captured by Russian forces in the first weeks of the Ukraine war. Recently fighting in the surrounding areas has had international leaders worried. Both the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the UN secretary-general condemned shelling and attacks on the plant, according to Euronews.

Fears of a nuclear spill have heightened in the region as a result. The Romanian ministry of health started a national campaign to distribute potassium iodide pills, placing special focus on those under 40 years old. The pills are to be administered in case of exposure to the radioactive cloud that can spread tens or even hundreds of km from the site of the nuclear incident, as reported by B1.

People in Moldova are even more concerned. Zaporizhzhia is 700 km from Moldova’s borders. However, Authorities in both Romania and Moldova assured that there is currently no indication of abnormally high levels of radiation.

(Photo source: Fireflyphoto | Dreamstime.com)