Fire Breaks Out at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Southern Ukraine

Zaporizhzhia, The Gulf Observer: A fire erupted at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe, located in southern Ukraine. Despite the alarming situation, the United Nations’ atomic energy watchdog has confirmed that nuclear safety has not been compromised.

On Sunday, experts observed “strong dark smoke” emanating from the northern area of the plant after explosions were heard in the evening, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported on X (formerly Twitter). The IAEA reassured the public, stating that “no impact has been reported for nuclear safety.”

The incident has sparked a fresh exchange of accusations between Ukraine and Russia, both blaming each other for the fire.

Yevgeny Balitsky, the Russian-installed regional governor of Zaporizhzhia, stated in a written statement that the fire was caused by shelling from the Ukrainian army, which targeted the plant’s cooling system. He further assured that “six units in the power plant are in cold shutdown, there is no explosion or other danger.”

On the other hand, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russian forces of deliberately setting the fire. “We recorded from Nikopol that the Russian occupiers have started a fire on the territory of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant,” Zelenskyy said on X. He condemned Russia, alleging that since seizing the plant, they have been using it to blackmail Ukraine, Europe, and the world.

Yevhen Yevtushenko, head of the district military administration of Nikopol, reported on Telegram that the facility is currently “operating as normal as possible under the conditions of occupation,” according to the Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform.

The situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant continues to be closely monitored as tensions between Ukraine and Russia escalate, raising concerns about the safety and security of one of the world’s largest nuclear facilities.