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Ukraine and Russia Exchange Blame for Fire at Occupied Nuclear Plant

2024-08-12

Moscow and Kyiv accused each other of igniting a fire at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine, Europe's largest and now occupied by Russia. Both sides reported no signs of elevated radiation levels.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which has experts, stationed at the facility, observed strong, dark smoke emanating from the northern section of the plant in southern Ukraine following several explosions.

Russian state news agencies TASS and RIA reported that Rosatom, the country's nuclear energy company, had extinguished the main fire shortly before midnight on Sunday.

The fire occurred less than a week after Ukraine launched its most significant incursion into Russian territory since the start of the war in 2022, marking a new phase in the conflict following weeks of Russian battlefield gains.

Energoatom, Ukraine's nuclear power company, reported on the Telegram messaging app that a cooling tower and other equipment had been damaged.

TASS, citing Rosatom, also reported that a cooling tower was damaged, but according to local Russian emergency ministry representatives, it was a non-functioning tower.

Russia captured the plant from Ukraine shortly after its full-scale invasion in 2022, which Moscow referred to as a "special operation." The plant's six nuclear reactors are currently in cold shutdown.