Hours after intense fighting, the Russian forces took control of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant in Ukraine, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe located in the Ukrainian city of Enerhodar.
Earlier in the day, the Russian troops had clashed with the Ukrainian forces to take control of the nuclear plant. During the clashes, a fire had broken out in a building outside the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant in Ukraine during intense fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces.
According to the latest reports, the Russian troops seized the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant days after capturing the areas surrounding the nuclear power plant.
BREAKING: Russian forces take Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant
— The Spectator Index (@spectatorindex) March 4, 2022
Zaporizhzhya provides more than a fifth of the total electricity generated in Ukraine.
Weeks ago, Russian troops took control of the defunct Chernobyl plant, 100 km north of Kyiv. In 1986, the Chernobyl nuclear plant had suffered a meltdown, the world’s worst nuclear disaster, affecting more than half of Europe due to radioactive radiation.
Fire breaks out at Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant
A fire broke out in a building outside the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant in Ukraine during intense fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces.
On Friday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba claimed that the Russian troops opened fire from all sides upon Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe. Kuleba warned that the fallout from a disaster at the Zaporizhzhya plant would be ten times worse than the Chernobyl disaster.
The Ukrainian authorities had claimed that the Russian troops were attempting to seize the plant and had entered the town with tanks.
The Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant spokesperson has confirmed that background radiation levels had not changed. The authorities also said there was no threat to radiation security.
Following the fire incident at Zaporizhzhya nuclear plant, the International Atomic Energy Agency said in a tweet that it was “aware of reports of shelling” at the power plant and was in contact with Ukrainian authorities about the situation.
The IAEA had said that it is monitoring the situation and has also said that the fire at the site has not impacted essential equipment. The international nuclear watchdog had confirmed that there has been no change reported in radiation levels at the power plant site.
