Ukrainian public operator Energoatom warned that there is a risk of “spraying radioactive materials” at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which is now occupied by Russian troops.
“The infrastructure of the station has been damaged, there are risks of hydrogen leaks and radioactive material leaks, and the risk of fire is high,” Energoatom said on Telegram as a result of multiple bombings in the last day.
The operator stated that at least until noon on Saturday (until 6:00 am Brasília time) the plant was “operating at the risk of violating radiation and fire safety parameters”.
The Russian defense ministry said Ukrainian forces shelled the grounds of the facility in the last hours. “They fired 17 rounds,” he said in a statement.
The Zaporizhzhia power station, the largest in Europe, was occupied by Russian troops in the first days of the invasion.
Kyiv and Moscow are making mutual accusations about the bombings around the nuclear complex in the city of Energodar.
On Thursday, the power plant was completely disconnected from the Ukrainian electricity grid for the first time in four decades due to “occupant actions”, according to Energoatom.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the current was cut off when the last active power line connecting the plant to the national grid was bombed by Russia.
The switch was reconnected on Friday afternoon. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has called for a mission to be sent to the plant “as soon as possible to help stabilize the security situation and restore nuclear safety”.
source: Noticias
