On March 4, local time, Andrei Tuz, a representative of the information office of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant in Ukraine, said that a fire had occurred in the area of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
The Associated Press reported that Tuz told local Ukrainian television that the shell fell directly into the plant area of the nuclear power plant, causing a fire in one of the six nuclear power units. The nuclear power unit that caught fire is being upgraded and is not functioning, but there is nuclear fuel in it.
Fire at Zaporozhye nuclear power plant (surveillance camera)
Touz added that because the fire brigade could not get close to the fire point. A Ukrainian official on condition of anonymity told The Associated Press that elevated radiation had been detected locally.
The Zaporozhye nuclear power plant is located in energorgor godal, Zaporozhye Oblast, in central Ukraine, bordering the Dnieper River. The nuclear power plant was built in 1980 with a total of 6 units and a total installed capacity of 6 gigawatts of electricity (GWe), making it the largest nuclear power plant in Europe.
Earlier, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) issued its 9th circular on Ukraine's nuclear facilities on the 3rd. The Ukrainian government reported on the same day that a large number of Russian tanks and infantry had broken through the Energodar blockade point, located thousands of meters away from the nuclear power plant.
Ukrainian regulators said in the letter that Russian troops are moving straight towards the nuclear power plant. "There was an exchange of fire in the town of Energodar and on the road to the nuclear power plant."
Earlier, Dmytro Orlov, mayor of Energodar, told Reuters that earlier on the 4th, the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant was attacked by Russian troops and caught fire. Orov said there had been fierce fighting between the local army and the Russians, and there had been casualties. But he did not give details.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kureba said on Twitter on the 4th: "The Russian army is firing on the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, from all directions. A fire has already happened. Once it explodes, it will cause 10 times more damage than Chernobyl. The Russians must immediately cease fire and let firefighters establish safe zones. ”
On March 2, local time, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) urgently convened a special board of governors, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said at a press conference that according to the IAEA from Moscow, Russia has taken control of the area around Ukraine's largest nuclear power plant Zaporozhia nuclear power plant, Ukraine has requested emergency assistance from the International Atomic Energy Agency.
At present, there are four nuclear power plants in Ukraine, a total of 15 nuclear reactors are in operation, and the Zaporizhiarian nuclear power plant, which has been controlled by the Russian military, is located in southeastErn Ukraine, built in 1984, is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, with 6 of the 15 operating nuclear power reactors in Ukraine.
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