Ukraine-Russia crisis: Europe's largest nuclear power plant on fire as Russia attacks

Ukraine crisis: Firefighters extinguish fire at a warehouse that caught flames, according to local authorities, after shelling, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues, in the village of Chaiky in the Kyiv region. (REUTERS)

Europe’s largest nuclear power plant suffered a fire as Russian troops began shelling early Friday, raising concerns over the safety of the facility.

Ukraine’s foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba called on Russia’s military to immediately halt firing on the plant and to allow a security zone to be established in a message posted to Twitter.

The Zaporizhzhia power plant in the Ukrainian city of Enerhodar is home to six Soviet-designed 950-megawatt reactors built between 1984 and 1995, and accounts for about 20% of the country’s electricity. 

 

Russian army is firing from all sides upon Zaporizhzhia NPP, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe. Fire has already broke out. If it blows up, it will be 10 times larger than Chornobyl! Russians must IMMEDIATELY cease the fire, allow firefighters, establish a security zone!

— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) March 4, 2022

Zaporizhzhia is suffering from a fire as a result of shelling by Russian forces, an unidentified official said in a video posted to the plant’s Facebook page. Firefighters can’t reach the plant, the post said. 

Phone calls to the power plant didn’t connect, and plant officials didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment on the situation. The White House did not immediately comment.