On March 4, Russian troops began shelling the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant. As a result of the shelling, a fire broke out. Russian troops hit the first power unit of the nuclear power plant. At the same time, rescuers were unable to get into the facility to fight the fire for some time, as shelling from both sides continued. Eventually, the rescuers were allowed into the facility.
The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant was targeted by Russian troops. During the night, the attackers began shelling the hazardous facility. As a result, a fire broke out.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made an emergency appeal.
“Everyone knows how much grief and casualties the explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant brought — hundreds of thousands of people suffered. Russia wants to repeat it and is already repeating it,” Volodymyr Zelensky said.
The Ukrainian president added that he had been in contact with Biden, Scholz, Johnson, and other political leaders after the shelling.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he would call an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.
The Gosatomregulirovanie of Ukraine and Zaporizhzhia Military Administration reports that the nuclear power plant site has been occupied by the Russian military.
“ZNPP units remained intact, there is damage to the reactor compartment of unit 1, which does not affect the safety of the unit. The systems and elements important for NPP safety are in working order. There are currently no changes in the radiation situation,” reads the statement of the Nuclear Regulatory Agency.
The IAEA confirmed that the fire did not affect any important equipment. The organization is now monitoring the situation on a 24/7 basis.
Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant now operates one power unit out of six. The other units are currently under scheduled maintenance, are disconnected from the grid and the nuclear units are being cooled.
Zaporizhzhya NPP is located in the steppe zone on the bank of the Kakhivka reservoir in the city of Energodar, Zaporizhzhya region of Ukraine. It is the largest power plant in Europe.
