Kyiv: Russian forces have seized Europe’s biggest nuclear power plant in Ukraine that caught fire overnight during clashes, media reports said
The territory of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant is occupied by the armed forces of the Russian Federation,” the Ukrainian nuclear inspectorate was quoted as saying by news agency AFP. The statement said plant staff were continuing to operate the reactor and supply power according to normal safety rules.
The Zaporizhzhia power plant had caught fire as it came under shelling from Russian forces. Though the fire was later extinguished, the incident sparked concerns that radiation could leak from the damaged power station.
US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said the reactors at Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station “are protected by robust containment structures and reactors are being safely shut down”. Ms Granholm tweeted she had just spoken with Ukraine’s energy minister about the situation at the plant. “We have seen no elevated radiation readings near the facility,” Ms Granholm said.
