Russia and Ukraine have been accusing each other of a fire at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russian forces had purposefully started the fire to blackmail Kyiv, while Russian-installed officials in the region blamed Ukrainian shelling.
Both parties affirmed that there was no radiation surge or immediate nuclear threat, amid the tensions. The incident happened when the conflict was intensifying and coincided with Ukraine’s major military advances into Russian territory.
Zelensky stressed that Russian forces had started a fire at the plant, which has been occupied by Moscow’s forces for more than two years.
The UN’s nuclear watchdog said it saw “strong dark smoke” coming from the facility, but said there was “no impact reported” for nuclear safety.
The development comes as Ukrainian troops push up to 30km inside Russia, in the deepest and most significant incursion since Moscow began its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Enerhodar. We have recorded from Nikopol that the Russian occupiers have started a fire on the territory of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
Currently, radiation levels are within norm. However, as long as the Russian terrorists maintain control over the nuclear plant, the… pic.twitter.com/TQUi3BJg4J
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 11, 2024
Since 2022, the nuclear power plant has been controlled by Russian officials and troops. It has not generated electricity for almost two years, and since April, all six reactors have been placed in cold shutdown.
Ukraine’s interior minister said that it was “intensively monitoring” the situation from meteorological stations near the plant, which is Europe’s largest nuclear power station.
In April 8, 2024, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) warned that a drone attack on Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia power plant raised the risk of a nuclear disaster. The power plant contains six reactors and is located in southern Ukraine, making it the largest in Europe.
Related News | Attack on Zaporizhzhia power plant raises disaster risks; IAEA
