Russia captured the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, early Friday after heavy fighting against Ukrainian troops. Russian shelling sparked off an explosion and a fire in one of the plant’s buildings leading to fears that the fighting could result in a nuclear disaster.
“The territory of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is occupied by the armed forces of the Russian Federation,” the Ukrainian nuclear inspectorate said. “The fire was extinguished by the Ukrainian State Emergency Service units. Information on the dead and injured is absent.”
Ukrainian authorities identified the damaged building as “an educational and training building”. Ukraine has a total of 15 nuclear reactors. The reactor in Zaporizhzhia provides more than a fifth of Ukraine’s total electricity and almost half the energy generated by all of the country’s nuclear power facilities. The site has a total capacity of around 6,000 megawatts, enough energy supply for around 4 million homes.
The statement added that no radiation leak had been detected and staff were continuing to work at the site. US officials released a statement that four of the plant’s six reactors were being “safely shut down.” A Russian defense ministry spokesman said that background radiation at the plant was “at normal levels”. Ukraine told the International Atomic Energy Agency that the fire didn’t affect “essential” equipment.
