Fears as Russian troops shell Ukraine’s nuclear power plant, largest in Europe

Invading Russian forces early on Friday morning, bombarded Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe, setting it on fire.

The Mayor of Enerhodar, Dmytro Orlov, who confirmed the fire in a statement, said the fire was caused by “continuous enemy shelling of the power plant.”

“As a result of continuous enemy shelling of buildings and units of the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is on fire,” Orlov said on his Telegram channel.

“At 06:20 (04:20 GMT) the fire in the training building of Zaporizhzhya NPP in Energodar was extinguished. There are no victims,” the State Emergency Service wrote on their social media accounts.

Zelenskyy angrily denounced the attack, in a video message saying:

“No country other than Russia has ever fired on nuclear power units.

“This is the first time in our history. In the history of mankind. The terrorist state now resorted to nuclear terror.

“If there is an explosion, it is the end of everything. The end of Europe. This is the evacuation of Europe. Only immediate European action can stop Russian troops.”

Read also: Ukrainian govt adopts Bitcoin as Nigerians, others lose accounts to Russian war

Though the Ukraine Emergency Services said the fire had been put out, the effect of the war which enters its ninth day, is gradually taking its toll on Ukraine and its national assets.

“A fire that broke out near Europe’s largest nuclear plant amid fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces has been extinguished as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Moscow of resorting to nuclear terror in its continuing assault on Kyiv,” a UN official recorded on social media.

Local authorities said the fire did not affect “essential” equipment at the plant, which provides more than a fifth of total electricity generated in Ukraine, and did not cause an immediate rise in radiation levels.

The incident, however, prompted global concern with the United States and the United Kingdom calling for an end to fighting in the area.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday, accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of “reckless actions” that “could now directly threaten the safety of all of Europe” and called for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, while the US Department of Energy activated its nuclear incident response team as a precaution.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now