"Arson"

Fire at the cooling tower of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant

The Ukrainian head of state shared a video of the burning nuclear power plant.(Bild: Screenshot X @ZelenskyyUa)

A fire broke out on Sunday in a cooling tower at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant controlled by Russian troops in southern Ukraine. Moscow and Kiev accuse each other. The fire was extinguished during the night.

According to Russia, a fire broke out in the cooling system of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant in Enerhodar in southern Ukraine in the evening. The fire was completely extinguished during the night, according to a Russian official on Telegram. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which has experts stationed at the nuclear power plant, stated that "no effects on nuclear safety have been reported".

Moscow sees Ukrainian attack
The Moscow-appointed governor of the region, Yevgeny Balitsky, stated according to the state agency TASS that there had previously been a Ukrainian attack on the area surrounding the power plant. However, there was no danger, as all of the nuclear power plant's units had been shut down. Radiation levels are within the normal range. Early on Monday morning, Balitsky announced that security precautions had been increased at all plants of strategic importance in the region on the orders of Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin.

The Russian side said that a Ukrainian combat drone had caused considerable damage to the infrastructure of the nuclear power plant. The Ukrainian nuclear authority Energoatom announced via the short message service Telegram that a cooling tower and other systems at Europe's largest nuclear power plant had been damaged.

Zelenskyi sees Russian firebug
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of setting fire to the nuclear power plant. The radiation levels were normal, Selensky wrote on Platform X. "But as long as the Russian terrorists control the nuclear power plant, the situation is not and cannot be normal." He called for an immediate response from the international community and the IAEA.

IAEA chief Rafael Grossi called for an end to such attacks. "These reckless attacks jeopardize the nuclear safety of the power plant and increase the risk of a nuclear accident. They must stop immediately," Grossi said in a statement on Monday night.

Experts from the IAEA, who were in the vicinity of the power plant, heard several explosions on Sunday evening, according to the organization. They were soon informed of a suspected drone attack that had hit one of the cooling towers and set it on fire. The team reportedly ensured that the radiation dose had not changed. In order to determine the cause and effects of the fire, the Vienna-based IAEA requested immediate access to the cooling tower.

Largest nuclear power plant in Europe
Russia captured Europe's largest nuclear power plant shortly after the start of its war of aggression and has occupied it ever since. Both sides blame each other for attacks on or sabotage of the power plant. Russia has recently repeatedly complained about Ukrainian drone attacks.

The reactors were already shut down in 2022 due to safety concerns, but must continue to be cooled. IAEA observers are stationed at the site.