A fire broke out on Sunday at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in southern Ukraine, with both Kyiv and Moscow blaming each other for the incident. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russian forces of deliberately starting the fire, while Russian-installed officials in the region claimed the blaze was the result of Ukrainian shelling. Despite the alarming situation, both sides reported no immediate signs of elevated radiation levels at the plant, the largest nuclear facility in Europe.
The fire reportedly occurred at one of the plant’s cooling towers, with dark smoke visible from miles away. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which has inspectors stationed at the plant, confirmed seeing the smoke and explosions but stated that the fire did not impact nuclear safety. The IAEA has repeatedly expressed concerns over the safety of the facility, which has been under Russian control since early in the conflict.
Zelensky emphasized the ongoing risks posed by Russia’s control over the plant, labeling it as a form of nuclear blackmail against Ukraine and the broader international community. He assured the public that radiation levels remained within normal limits but warned that the situation could not be considered safe as long as Russian forces continued to occupy the site.
In contrast, Yevgeny Balitsky, the Russian-installed governor of the Zaporizhzhia region, accused Ukrainian forces of shelling the nearby city of Enerhodar, leading to the fire at the plant. He too confirmed that radiation levels were normal and that the fire had been contained without affecting the plant’s operation.Â
The Zaporizhzhia plant, which houses six nuclear reactors, has been a focal point of tension since Russia seized it shortly after launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The reactors are currently in cold shutdown, a precautionary measure to reduce the risk of a nuclear incident. However, the facility still requires external power to maintain the cooling systems for its nuclear material, and any disruption could have catastrophic consequences.
Both Ukraine and Russia have accused each other of endangering the plant’s safety, with fears of a potential nuclear disaster never far from the surface. The IAEA has called on both sides to exercise maximum restraint to avoid triggering a serious radiological incident.
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