Fighting between Russia, Ukraine Causes Fire at Europe’s Largest Nuclear Power Plant. Here’s What We Know So Far

What’s the latest?

Russian troops have been attacking Enerhodar as part of a drive to cut the rest of Ukraine off from the sea.

Local emergency services said Russian shelling caused a fire in one of the plant’s training buildings, but said they extinguished it on Friday morning.

Soon after the fire was put out the regional military administration said Russian forces had taken control of the site.

The military released a statement saying Russian attacks had caused some damage to the compartment of the plant’s number 1 reactor, but had not affected its safety.

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US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said Zaporizhzhia’s reactors were “protected by robust containment structures” and being “safely shut down”.

Background radiation levels remained unchanged at the plant, Russia’s RIA news agency cited a plant spokesman as saying.

What’s been the response so far?

While the fighting raged, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called on Russia to end its attacks near the power station.

He warned that if the plant blew up, the effect would be “10 times larger than Chernobyl”.
In an emotional speech in the middle of the night, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he feared an explosion would be “the end for everyone. The end for Europe. The evacuation of Europe”.

“Only urgent action by Europe can stop the Russian troops,” he said.

“Do not allow the death of Europe from a catastrophe at a nuclear power station.”
UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi also called on Russian and Ukrainian troops not to fight in the area.

“Director-general Grossi appealed for an immediate halt to the use of force at Enerhodar and called on the military forces operating there to refrain from violence near the nuclear power plant,” the International Atomic Energy Agency said in a statement.

The American Nuclear Society backed up reports from a White House official saying radiation levels remained within natural background levels.