New Delhi: Russian military forces have entered the site of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in southeastern Ukraine that caught fire overnight during heavy fighting.
Reuters reported that forces had “seized” the power plant, Europe’s largest with 15 reactors.
Ukraine’s State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate said in a statement: “Currently, the site of the Zaporizhzhia NPP is occupied by the military forces of the Russian Federation.”
Ukraine’s nuclear power operator Energoatom said via Telegram that the “the administrative building and the checkpoint at the station are under occupiers’ control”.
The statement said there were dead and wounded among Ukrainian defenders, but “the plant’s staff continues to work on power units, ensuring the stable operation of nuclear facilities”.
The power plant’s six reactors remain intact, though reactor unit 1’s compartment auxiliary buildings have been damaged, the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate said, according to CNN.
“The systems and components important to the safety of the NPP are operational. With Unit 1 out of order, four out of the six units are being cooled down while one unit is providing power.
The blaze started around 2.30 am local time at a training facility outside the main reactor complex of the nuclear power plant, Ukraine’s State Emergency Services said. It was extinguished after a few hours.
Ukraine has assured atomic body IAEA that all essential equipment were safe and that there was no rise in radiation levels.
Only one power generation unit out of six was operational when the fire broke out, Zaporizhzhia power plant spokesperson Andrey Tuz said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of “nuclear terror”, trying to “repeat” Chernobyl.
Zelensky said: “Russian tanks, equipped with thermal imagery, are shooting at the atomic blocks. They know what they are shooting at. They’ve been preparing for this (attack).”
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