Shortly after the Russian/Ukraine war began, the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine has been under Russian control.
Rosatom, the Russian nuclear power business, accused the Ukrainian military of attacking the facility many times. A Ukrainian intelligence officer, however, denied any involvement on the part of Kyiv in the attacks on the station and instead blamed the Russians. After Russia urged global leaders to criticize the attacks, the UN’s nuclear watchdog called for an immediate end to them.
The International Atomic Energy Agency and Russian authorities said that radiation levels were within normal range and that the harm was not serious. The four nuclear power reactors in Ukraine, the biggest of which is Zaporizhzhia, used to provide about half of the country’s energy. Russian forces captured the facility a few weeks after their full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, despite its proximity to the fighting lines. Controversial claims of nuclear disaster-inspiring attacks on the facility persist on both sides.
Three individuals were harmed, with one person suffering critical injuries, in Sunday’s assault, according to Rosatom. The nuclear power plant issued a statement claiming three employees were injured in the first attack, which occurred near a canteen; however, the statement did not specify which weapon was used. A freight loading area was hit by one drone within 30 minutes, and the sixth reactor’s dome was hit by another drone shortly after.
Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for Russia’s foreign ministry, attacked President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine and called on international leaders to denounce the strike as an act of “nuclear terrorism.” Speaking on behalf of the Ukrainian government, Andriy Usov of the HUR Main Intelligence Directorate denied participation.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on social networking site X that one person had died. This is a significant accident that might compromise the reactor’s containment system.
Inspectors have already expressed concern inside the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Power Station that the facility is heading towards a disaster.
Europe’s largest nuclear power plant is perilously close to meltdown in a volatile area.
