Ukraine: Fire Erupts At Cooling Tower Of Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant

A fire erupted on Sunday at a cooling tower of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine, with Kyiv and Moscow accusing each other of being responsible for the incident.

Both sides reported that no increase in radiation levels was detected around the power plant, which has been under Russian control since the early days of the full-scale military offensive.

“As a result of shelling of the town of Energodar by the Ukrainian armed forces, there was a fire at a cooling system of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station,” Yevgeny Balitsky, the Russian-installed governor of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region said on Telegram.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated in a social media post that “Russian occupiers have started a fire” at the plant.

“Currently, radiation levels are within the norm,” he added.

Balitsky also reported that the “radiation background” around the facility were normal.

Ukraine’s interior minister stated that it was “intensively monitoring” the situation from meteorological stations near the plant, which is the largest nuclear power station in Europe.

Balitsky noted that all six of the plant’s units are currently in cold shutdown.

He stated, “There is no threat of a steam explosion or any other consequences,” and added that firefighters were on-site fighting the fire.

A video released by Zelensky displayed black smoke rising from one of the cooling towers at the station, with red flames visible at the base.

The plant is located on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River, which acts as a de facto frontline in southern Ukraine.

Ukraine controls the opposite bank, and Russia has frequently accused Ukrainian forces of intentionally shelling the plant, allegations which Ukraine denies.

In response, Kyiv has accused Moscow of militarizing the facility, including by stationing heavy weapons there at the start of the conflict.

Ukraine describes Russia’s control of the plant as a form of nuclear “blackmail.”

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which has personnel on-site, has consistently called for restraint, expressing concern that reckless military actions could lead to a serious nuclear accident at the plant.

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