Kiev.- In the Energodar nuclear power plant in the Zaporizhia region of southeastern Ukraine, a fire broke out this Friday after Russian forces fired at the plant and a threat to the first unit has been declared after being hit by the projectiles, the city’s mayor, Dmitry Orlov, reported.
“Global security threat! As a result of the bombing continuous enemy of buildings and units of the Europe’s largest nuclear power plantthe Zaporizhia nuclear power plant is on fire,” he wrote on his Telegram account.
The National Guard confirmed the fire at the plant on its official channel of the same social network.
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“There’s a fire at the base of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant. Despite this, the enemy continues to fire in the direction of the station,” he denounced.
“The National Guard, which guards the plant, stays to defend it,” he stressed.
He added that “representatives of the plant affirm that there is currently a real threat of nuclear danger.”
A plant worker who regularly provides information in a video message to the authorities about the situation reported the existence of “a threat to the first power unit of the station” after being hit by Russian artillery.
the spokesman for the nuclear power stationAndrii Tuz, explained that the emergency services cannot extinguish the fire because the Russian fire is too close, according to the UNIAN agency.
He indicated that the unit was connected to the network a week ago and a few days ago it was put into a scheduled repair state.
“The nuclear fuel is inside the nuclear reactor. It has not been unloaded yet. In addition, there is a nuclear fuel storage and refueling pool in the central hall, which also contains uranium and nuclear fuel assemblies,” he said, emphasizing the danger. of the sealed cover breaking.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitro Kuleba said in a tweet that the radiation measurement at the plant “is currently normal”, but noted that the Russian Army bombs it “from all sides”.
“If it explodes it will be 10 times bigger (the catastrophe) than Chernobyl” in 1986, he warned.
“The Russians must cease fire immediately, allow firefighters access and create a safety zone,” he tweeted.
Hours before, the mayor of Energodar had reported heavy fighting at the entrances to the nuclear power plant.
“Fierce fighting has taken place for more than an hour at the entrances to the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant. Our National Guards maintain the defense,” he said.
The mayor said that there are victims, but that they cannot yet be quantified, given the circumstances.
He indicated that “a column of enemy vehicles” was heading in the direction of the nuclear power plant and that heavy shots could be heard in the city.
On Wednesday, hundreds of employees of the nuclear power plant tried to prevent a column of the Russian Army from accessing the plant with tank trucks and tires.
Ukrainian response
The State Emergency Service of Ukraine reported today that the fire that occurred at the Energodar nuclear power plant, in the Zaporizhia region, in the southeast of the country, is “within the rules” and clarified that it broke out in a building outside the plant itself.
“The condition of the fire in nuclear power plants is within the norm,” he indicated in his Telegram account.
According to this official source, the fire occurred in the training building “outside the nuclear power plant” itself.
He explained that the third unit was disconnected from the single energy system and that only the fourth is in operation.
He added that while the fighting continues, the emergency services are unable to extinguish the fire.
“The rescuers are on standby,” he said.
The mayor of the city, Dmitry Orlov, indicated this Friday on his Telegram account that a fire broke out at the nuclear power plant after Russian forces fired on the plant and that a threat to the first unit was declared after being hit by projectiles. .
“Global security threat! As a result of continuous enemy shelling of buildings and units of the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant is on fire,” he wrote.
The National Guard confirmed the fire at the plant on its official channel of the same social network.
“There is a fire at the base of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant. Despite this, the enemy continues to fire in the direction of the station,” he denounced.
A plant worker who regularly provides information in a video message to the authorities about the situation reported the existence of “a threat to the first power unit of the station” after being hit by Russian artillery.
The nuclear power plant’s spokesman, Andrii Tuz, explained that a few days ago the unit was placed in a scheduled repair state, but that there was still nuclear fuel inside the reactor that had not been discharged.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitro Kuleba said in a tweet that the radiation measurement at the plant “is currently normal”, but noted that the Russian Army bombs it “from all sides”.
“If it explodes it will be 10 times bigger (the catastrophe) than Chernobyl” in 1986, he warned.
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“The Russians must cease fire immediately, allow firefighters access and create a safety zone,” he tweeted.
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