A fire at Europe’s biggest nuclear plant ignited by Russian shelling has been extinguished, Ukrainian authorities said Friday, and Russian forces have taken control of the site.
There was damage to the compartment of reactor No. 1 at the Zaporizhzhia plant in the city of Enerhodar, but it does not affect the safety of the power unit, the regional military administration said in a statement. It added that operational personnel are ensuring its safety.
No information was immediately available about casualties. Ukrainian officials said that radiation levels in the area weren’t at dangerous levels.
Ukraine has said Russian forces attacked the plant in the early hours of Friday, setting an adjacent five-story training facility on fire.
World leaders are accusing Russia of endangering the safety of an entire continent after its forces attacked a nuclear power plant and sparked a fire.
A fire broke out at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant - the largest in Europe - after it was attacked by Russia.
Ukraine's Emergency Services managed to extinguish the fire, which broke out at a building outside the plant's perimeter, but authorities say that Russian troops have seized the plant.
UK Prime Minister Boris Jonson said Russia's "reckless" attack could "directly threaten the safety of all of Europe".
US President Joe Biden urged Moscow to stop its military activities around the site, while Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the "horrific attacks" from Russia "must cease immediately".
Fighting has stopped near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant on Friday and radiation levels are currently normal.
Zaporizhzhia power plant spokesperson Andrey Tuz said the plant has not sustained any critical damage, although only one power generation unit out of six is operational as the fire continued at the facility.
