New tension in the war between Russia and Ukraine. A fire broke out on the site of the Zaporija nuclear power plant (Ukraine) after Russian fire, during the night of Thursday March 3 to Friday March 4. “There is a real threat of nuclear danger in the largest atomic power plant in Europe”assured the spokesperson Andreï Touz in a video published on the Telegram account of this plant.
“Firefighters can’t reach the place of the fire and put it out. The shots are falling very close. The first electrical unit of the plant has already been hit. Stop it!”
Andrei Touzin a video posted on Telegram
An outbreak is visible in live and widely reported CCTV footage. The camera is located in the administrative building of the nuclear power plant next to the first power unit, said the spokesman, interviewed by Ukrainian television. At this stage, the spent nuclear fuel storage is not under enemy fire. “A fire broke out in the training building outside the nuclear power plant” at 2:26 a.m. (1:26 a.m. in France), the Ministry of Emergency Situations later confirmed.
Dimitro Orlov, the mayor of Enerhodar, explained for his part that Ukrainian forces were fighting Russian troops on the outskirts of the city. The Ukrainian regulator informed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that no changes in radiation levels had been detected. Earlier Thursday, Kiev told the IAEA that Russian tanks and infantry were near the town of Enerhodar, a few kilometers from the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant.
News of a fire prompted an immediate reaction from the Ukrainian government. “If it explodes, it will be ten times bigger than Chernobyl! The Russians must cease fire IMMEDIATELY.”warned theUkrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba urging Russia to stop bombing the site.
Russian army is firing from all sides upon Zaporizhzhia NPP, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe. Fire has already broke out. If it blows up, it will be 10 times larger than Chornobyl! Russians must IMMEDIATELY cease the fire, allow firefighters, establish a security zone!
— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) March 4, 2022
In a statement Thursday, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi called for an immediate end to all use of force at Enerhodar and near the plant. He said the IAEA continues to consult with Kyiv and other actors to provide assistance and ensure the security of Ukrainian nuclear sites.
Launched in 1985, during the USSR, the Zaporijjia nuclear power plant has six reactors and provides a large part of the country’s energy. On February 24, fighting had already taken place near the former Chernobyl power plant, the site of the worst nuclear accident in history about a hundred kilometers north of Kiev, and which is now in the hands of Russian troops.