Ukrainian authorities prepare for a nuclear attack

Not long after Russia attacked Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin began to let world leaders know that he was willing to use the big guns and make use of the country's vast supply of nuclear arms if need be.

While some believe that Putin's threats are empty words to try to scare Ukraine into submission, Ukrainians must consider all possibilities and be prepared for the worst.

Politico reported that the Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation, located in downtown Kyiv is preparing for a possible nuclear attack. The foundation has two bomb shelters: one in the parking garage under the building for "normal" Russian bombs and a second bomb shelter to be used exclusively in case of a nuclear attack.

Ukrainian TV star Serhiy Prytula (pictured), the head of the foundation, told Politico: "The second shelter is equipped accordingly. It has a supply of medicines, food, drinking, and distilled water, flashlights, and batteries."

Prytula also told the media outlet that when it comes to Russia, you need to be prepared for anything: "Predicting the actions of the Russian military and political leadership is always difficult if you use normal logic. We have been very unfortunate to have this neighbor. This is why anything connected to a nuclear threat should be taken very seriously, as a real threat, and prepare accordingly."

The Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation isn't alone in preparing for a possible nuclear attack on Ukraine. The New York Times reported that an important Kyiv official confirmed that 425 fallout shelters were being prepared and outfitted with supplies in the capital city.

Oleksiy Kuleba (pictured), the head of the Kyiv regional military administration, told the Ukrainian news outlet Hromadske that fallout shelters are also being readied across the country.

Photo: Telegram@OleksiyKuleba

Kuleba told Hromadske, "The past eight months have taught us that anything can happen. As an official, I am preparing for the worst-case scenario, but I hope everything will be fine."

Kuleba added that the shelters are ventilated, underground, have two entrances, and will be equipped with radios, which might be the only way to communicate with the outside world following a nuclear attack.

The administration of the capital city of Kyiv stated on a local government webpage that the city is fully stocked with potassium iodide pills which help to prevent the absorption of radiation.

Ukrainian officials certainly have their reasons to be worried about a nuclear attack, particularly when Russia's new deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, Medvedev, is warning that Ukraine's goal of recapturing all of its lost territories "is a threat to the existence of our state and of a dismemberment of today's Russia." Medvedev also stated that it was a "direct reason" to implement Russia's nuclear deterrent.

Kuleba also said in the interview with Hromadske that emergency workers are being given protective gear and training for what to do if there is a nuclear attack.

Furthermore, all that evacuation routes in cities, towns, and villages throughout the country are being updated.

In addition, The New York Times reported that Ukrainian government authorities are creating methods of communicating that such a disaster is imminent to the public "via government hotlines, radio broadcasts, and cars equipped with loudspeakers."

Ukraine, unfortunately, has some experience with nuclear catastrophes due to the Chernobyl nuclear disaster of 1986. The government is using this knowledge to help prepare citizens on what to do if the worse were to occur.

The Ukrainian government recently published clear instructions for citizens on the internet in a document titled "How to save yourself from a "dirty bomb", the use of nuclear weapons or an accident at a nuclear power plant."

The document says that the Ukrainian government considers a nuclear attack "unlikely" yet believes citizens must be ready nonetheless: "At the same time, Ukrainians must have an action plan in case of any emergency situations: the use of nuclear weapons, a 'dirty bomb' or in the event of an accident at a nuclear power plant."

The instructions detail everything from what to do if a nuclear blast catches you on the street to the symptoms of radiation sickness to an explanation of what "dirty bombs" are.

Ukrainian citizens aren't the only ones being prepared for a nuclear war. Ukrainian soldiers, both in training and on the front lines, have already been given potassium iodine tablets and be given the necessary training on what to do if a nuclear attack were to occur.

The Kremlin has claimed out of nowhere that Ukraine is preparing a "dirty bomb" (an explosive that scatters radioactive material) in Russian-occupied areas making Kyiv and governments worldwide suspect that Putin plans to use this kind of bomb in the country and blame it on Ukraine.

In an interview with The Associated Press, presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak (pictured) spoke about why Ukraine considers the threats from Russia as real, saying: "Of course Ukraine takes this threat seriously, because we understand what kind of country we are dealing with."