Ukraine: Europe's largest nuclear power plant hit by Russian strikes
Eva Deschamps / March 4, 2022
Europe's largest atomic power plant, Zaporizhia, in Ukraine, was hit Friday by Russian military strikes that caused a fire, but its safety is guaranteed according to Kiev, which accused Moscow of using nuclear terror.
According to Kiev, Russian tank fire on the plant set fire to a building dedicated to training and a laboratory. The emergency services said they were able to access the site and extinguish the fire at about 06:20), after being prevented for a time by Russian soldiers.
Nuclear safety is now guaranteed, Oleksander Staroukh, head of the military administration of the Zaporizhia region, said on Facebook. There were no casualties from the attack, Ukrainian rescue services said on Facebook.
According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, it was Russian tanks that opened fire on the plant.
These tanks are equipped with thermal sights so they know what they are doing, they had prepared, he said in a video released by the Ukrainian Presidency.
Radioactivity levels remain unchanged at the site of the plant, which has six nuclear reactors and provides much of the country's energy, said the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which said no "essential" equipment was damaged.
The IAEA calls for a halt to the use of force and warns of grave danger if the reactors are hit, the organization tweeted.