Russia and Ukraine Blame Each Other for Fire at Zaporizhia Nuclear Plant

A fire has broken out at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, which has come under the control of Russia during the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian conflict, with Moscow and Kyiv blaming each other for the incident. Both sides have stated that the radiation levels have not increased.

The Russian state atomic energy company, Rosatom, announced that the fire was ignited as a result of Ukrainian armed forces' attacks. According to Russian media, Ukraine conducted two direct strikes on the Zaporizhia nuclear plant using combat drones at 20:20 and 20:32 local time. By 23:30, the main fire had been successfully extinguished; however, the cooling tower of the plant sustained significant damage.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky released images of smoke rising from the burning plant, claiming that the fire was caused by 'Russian occupiers.' The Ukrainian energy company Energoatom stated that the fire resulted from Russian negligence or arson.

Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, accused Kyiv of 'nuclear terrorism.' Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, issued a statement regarding the fire at Europe's largest nuclear plant, refraining from blaming either side for the attacks. 'These attacks jeopardize the nuclear safety of the plant and increase the risk of a nuclear accident. They must stop immediately,' he stated. Grossi also mentioned that the agency needs to gain immediate access to the cooling tower to assess the damage.