Fire at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya nuclear plant, no radiation released
Highlight
- Ukrainian firefighters extinguished a fire at Europe’s largest nuclear plant in Zaporizhzhya.
- No radiation was released, the United Nations and Ukrainian officials said.
- No radioactive material was released, but two people were injured in the fire.
A fire has been extinguished at Europe’s largest nuclear plant in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya, which was ignited by a Russian attack. No radiation was released, the United Nations and Ukrainian officials said. Ukraine’s state nuclear regulator previously said no change in radiation levels had been recorded after the attack on the Zaporizhzhya plant. Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, later said no radioactive material was released, but two people were injured in the fire at the plant.
Meanwhile, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Rafael M. Grossi also said that 6 nuclear reactors remain unaffected by Russian shelling. Grossi confirmed Friday that the building hit was a training center and “was not part of the reactor.” He said he did not know which plant hit him, but called a “projectile” from the Russian military.
The plant’s shelling occurred when Russian forces advanced on a strategic town on the Dnieper River where the facility is located and acquired land in their bid to cut the country off from the sea. The move would be a serious blow to Ukraine’s economy and could worsen the already dire humanitarian situation.
The attack caused concern around the world – and brought back memories of the world’s worst nuclear disaster in Chernobyl, Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also said the attack could be “6 times more terrible than Chernobyl”. “This night could have been the end of history for Ukraine and Europe, the Russian tank operators knowing what they were shooting at, they aimed directly at the station.” Zelensky said.
Initial reports conflicted over whether one or two fires broke out at the plant in Enerhodar town. Nuclear plant spokesman Andrey Tuz told Ukrainian television overnight that the shells fell directly on the facility, and set fire to reactor number 1, which is under renovation and is not operating, and at an administrative training building.
Read also: Explainer: how dangerous was Russia’s nuclear plant attack?
On Friday morning, officials only made reference to the fire in the training building, when they said all fires at the plant were extinguished – which was also confirmed by Grossi. The Regional Military Administration reported unspecified damage to the reactor number 1 compartment, but said it did not affect the safety of the power unit. He added that only one reactor at the plant is operating at about 60% capacity.
The confusion itself underscored the dangers of active fighting near a nuclear power plant. It was the second time since the invasion began just a week earlier that concerns were expressed about a nuclear accident or the release of radiation after a battle at Chernobyl.
(with inputs from AP)
Read also: Russia-Ukraine war: Britain to demand UNSC meeting after Ukraine’s nuclear power plant caught fire