Ukrainians and Russians blame each other for the attack on the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant. The Ukrainian atomic energy authority said there is a risk of leakage of radioactive substances.
The Ukrainian authorities of Energoatom reported this Saturday that one of the reactors of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, controlled by the Russian invaders, was stopped due to attacks of which both Moscow and Kyiv accuse each other.
In this context, the Ukrainian atomic energy company explained that there is a risk of leakage of radioactive substances and fires.
“Following the attack on the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, the emergency protection system was activated in one of the three operating reactors, which was turned off,” the company announced, stating that the bombing caused “serious damage” to a station containing nitrogen and oxygen and an “auxiliary building”.
“There are still risks of leakage of hydrogen and radioactive substances. Fire risk is also high,” he said.
Energoatom says that while the attack put the safe operation of the plant at risk, electricity is still being generated and Ukrainian staff are still working. On Friday, Ukrainian authorities accused Russian forces of carrying out three attacks near a reactor at the plant, while the invaders maintain that the Ukrainians were responsible for the action.
EU condemns Russian activity
After the events, the president of Ukraine, Volodimir Zelensky, called for sanctions against Russia. “Whoever generates a nuclear threat to other countries is not in a position to use nuclear technology responsibly,” the head of state said in a video, where he asked Moscow, whose troops he also accuses of installing missile launchers inside the plant, to take responsibility for the attack.
“The invaders created a dangerous situation for all of Europe. They twice attacked the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant. Every bombing of the plant is a brazen crime, a terrorist act,” the Ukrainian president said.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said that if an attack hit a working reactor, the consequences would be similar to those of an atomic bomb.
The European Union, for its part, condemned “Russian military activity” in Zaporizhia, and asked that the International Energy Agency (IEA) be allowed access to the facilities.