The Russian Defense Ministry reported this Friday that units of Ukrainian nationalists tried to set fire to the Zaporizhia plant, known as the largest in Europe, located in the city of Energodar.
“At night, the Kiev regime made an attempt to carry out a monstrous provocation on the territory adjacent to the nuclear power plant,” Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said.
The official noted that Russian soldiers were patrolling the protected area adjacent to the plant around 2:00 am local time when they were attacked by a sabotage group. Nationalists fired on the Russians from the training building outside the plant.
Leaving the building, the saboteurs set fire to the infrastructure. “Currently, the personnel of the Zaporizhzhia NPP continue to operate normally, maintain the plant’s facilities and monitor the radioactive situation. The radioactive background in the area of the plant is normal”, said Konashénkov.
Prior to the attack, the State Inspectorate for Nuclear Regulation of Ukraine confirmed the seizure of the plant and reported that its personnel continued to work there.
This Thursday night a fire broke out in the training building, outside the territory of the plant, amid fighting between Russians and Ukrainians. In the transmissions emitted by the nuclear power plant, the projectiles were seen in what is presumed to be the parking area of the facilities.
Later, the Ukrainian Emergency Service warned of the extinction of the flames and showed that there were no victims or injuries. In addition, they explained that only one of the six blocks is operational, specifically the fourth.
In turn, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said, citing the Ukrainian regulator, that there were no changes in the plant’s radiation levels and that “special equipment” was not affected by the plant. However, the IAEA had its Incident and Emergency Center in full response mode to deal with a possible worsening of the situation.
The Zaporizhia nuclear power plant has six pressurized water reactors of the VVER-1000 model and has a total capacity of 6,000 MW. The first four generating units began to work from 1984 to 1987; the fifth in 1989 and the sixth in 1995.
