Authorities reported that firefighters were able to put out the fire at 06:20 (local time) after emergency services were able to reach the burning training complex as of 05:20. According to local authorities, radiation levels around the nuclear power plant are said to be ‘normal’. There have been no casualties.
The complex was “attacked from all sides” by Russian ground forces, according to the Ukrainian foreign minister. For that reason, firefighters were initially unable to reach the fire. “Very dangerous,” UN nuclear watchdog IAEA reported. According to local authorities, the situation is now “under control.”
The mayor of nearby Energodar, in southeastern Ukraine, was the first to report the fire in a video posted on Facebook. The New York Times verified images showing flames and fires surrounding the nuclear power plant. According to local authorities, it was a fire in a training building and there was no immediate danger to the critical components or reactors of the nuclear power plant.
‘Nuclear terror’
That did not stop Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky from speaking of “nuclear terror.” He accused the Russians in a nightly video message “a repeat of Chernobyl.” That nuclear power plant exploded in 1986, causing tens of thousands of people to evacuate and hundreds of thousands of lifelong consequences, caused by the explosion of one reactor. “Zaporizhzhya has six reactors,” Zelensky said.
“No other country has ever shelled a nuclear power plant,” Zelenski said. “This is the first time in our history, the first time for humanity.” He speaks of a targeted attack by Russian tanks on the nuclear power plant.
Zelensky warned of “the end of Europe” if the nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhya exploded. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitro Kuleba said the consequences of an explosion would be “ten times greater than Chernobyl.”
In the hours after the fire broke out, Zelenski spoke with US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who both called for a ceasefire. According to Johnson, “Russian President Vladimir Putin’s reckless actions could pose a direct threat to the security of all of Europe.” According to the BBC, among others, he wants the UN Security Council to meet quickly in an emergency meeting.
Flames and fire
Images verified by The New York Times show flames and fires around the nuclear power plant, but the paper writes that “it is unclear what causes these.” It is also unclear where exactly in the nuclear power plant the fire raged. Regional authorities report that radiation levels around the nuclear power plant are “normal”. US authorities also confirm, based on the available information, that no radioactive radiation was released.
US President Joe Biden called on Russian authorities to allow emergency services to access the nuclear power plant. He also asked Russian troops for a ceasefire in the area around the nuclear power plant.
Biden made the call after a telephone conversation with President Zelensky about the situation surrounding the nuclear power plant.
‘Serious danger’
Both the IAEA and a US government “nuclear emergency team” continue to monitor the situation closely. The US energy minister, who called in the emergency team, emphasizes that the nuclear reactors are “well protected by robust constructions” and reports on the basis of Ukrainian authorities that no increased radioactive radiation has been detected. The reactors would also be safely switched off.
The UN nuclear watchdog spoke of a “serious danger” if the reactors at the plant were hit by rocket attacks. Earlier, the IAEA called on Russian and Ukrainian troops not to fight in the area.
Zaporizhzhya is one of the four operational nuclear power plants of Ukraine. The plant consists of six nuclear reactors and, according to various estimates, accounts for about 20 to 40 percent of Ukraine’s electricity supply.