Russian forces started a fire at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in southern Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a Telegram post Sunday. <\/p>\n
Zelensky posted a video showing a large plume of smoke coming out of one of the towers on the plant\u2019s territory. He said radiation indicators were normal but blamed Russia for using the nuclear plant \u201cto blackmail Ukraine, and all of Europe and the world.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cWe are waiting for the reaction of the world, we are waiting for the reaction of the IAEA,\u201d he said, referring to the International Atomic Energy Agency. \u201cRussia must be responsible for this.\u201d <\/p>\n
Yevhen Yevtushenko, head of the Ukrainian-controlled military administration in the Nikopol district, which looks out onto the plant, said there was unofficial information that Russian forces had set fire to a large number of automobile tires in the cooling towers. <\/p>\n
He called it \u201ca provocation, or an attempt to create panic\u201d and reassured that the plant is \u201coperating as normal as possible under the conditions of occupation.\u201d <\/p>\n
Russia, in turn, accused Ukraine of the fire on the plant\u2019s territory. <\/p>\n
The Russian-appointed official in control of occupied parts of Zaporizhzhia, Yevgeniy Balitsky, said the fire occurred \u201cas a result of shelling of the city of Enerhodar by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.\u201d Balitsky also said there is no radiation threat to the nuclear plant or the city of Enerhodar. <\/p>\n
Vladimir Rogov, a member of the Russian-installed Zaporizhzhia administration, said Kyiv forces launched an attack drone from the Ukrainian territory to strike the power plant and called it \u201c a targeted and deliberate blow.\u201d <\/p>\n
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova accused Ukraine of \u201cnuclear terror\u201d following the attack and urged the IAEA to respond. <\/p>\n
The Russian-installed communications director of the nuclear plant, Evgeniya Yashina, told state media TASS that there were no victims following the strike. However, the plant \u201csuffered serious damage for the first time,\u201d she said. TASS reported that \u201cthe non-functioning cooling tower No. 1 was damaged, and plastic steam traps caught fire following the Ukrainian drone strike,\u201d citing the Ministry of Emergency Situations. <\/p>\n
The fire \u201cdid not affect the operation of the plant in any way,\u201d and employees of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations are working on its elimination, the plant\u2019s Russian-backed Telegram page said. <\/p>\n
The IAEA issued a statement on X on Sunday following the incident. <\/p>\n
\u201cIAEA experts witnessed strong dark smoke coming from ZNPP\u2019s northern area following multiple explosions heard in the evening. Team was told by ZNPP of an alleged drone attack today on one of the cooling towers located at the site. No impact has been reported for nuclear safety,\u201d it said. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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