Russians start fire at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant – Zelenskyy

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reported that the Russians have started a fire on the territory of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP).

Source: Zelenskyy on Telegram; Yevhen Yevtushenko, Head of Nikopol District Military Administration; Ihor Klymenko, Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, cited by the State Emergency Service of Ukraine; the occupying administration cited by Russian Kremlin-aligned news agency RIA Novosti 

Quote from Zelenskyy: "Enerhodar [the town where the ZNPP is located – ed.]. We see from the city of Nikopol that the occupiers have started a fire on the territory of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.

As of now the radiation level is normal. However, as long as Russian terrorists remain in control of the nuclear power plant, the situation is not and cannot be normal. Since the first day of the occupation of the ZNPP, Russia has used it purely to blackmail both Ukraine and the whole of Europe and the world.

We await the world’s response, as well as the response of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Russia must be held accountable for this. Only Ukrainian control over the ZNPP can guarantee a return to normality and complete safety."

Details: Yevhen Yevtushenko, Head of the Nikopol District Military Administration, had previously reported that the ZNPP was operating as usual, and the Russians had likely set fire to a large quantity of car tyres in the cooling tower.

Quote from Yevtushenko: "Unofficial reports obtained from sources on the opposite bank say that the Russians set fire to a large quantity of car tyres in the cooling tower. This may be a provocation or an attempt to cause panic in the settlements on the right bank of the former reservoir.

At the moment the ZNPP is operating as normal, or as close to normal as possible in conditions of occupation. Please keep calm."

More details: Later Ihor Klymenko, Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, reported that as of 22:30 no changes to radiation levels at the ZNPP had been documented and no radionuclides of man-made origin have been detected. 

He noted that Ukrhydrometcentre (the Ukrainian meteorological service) posts near the plant were operating as usual in order to facilitate timely monitoring of the background radiation. 

Meanwhile, the occupying Russian authorities have blamed Ukraine for an alleged attack on Enerhodar, yet they claim the background radiation around the ZNPP is normal. 

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