The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine came under attack by Russian troops on Friday while being live-streamed on YouTube.
The mayor of the nearby town of Energodar told Reuters that the plant, which is the largest of its kind in Europe and roughly 700 miles from Kyiv, came under fire on Friday morning, local time. A video feed from the plant’s official YouTube channel showed what appeared to be a column of Russian vehicles and a portion of the facility on fire. A spokesman for the plant said Russian troops had started “shelling” the facility.
You can watch the live stream below:
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“Fire has already broken out. If it blows up, it will be 10 times larger than Chornobyl!” claimed Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. “Russians must IMMEDIATELY cease the fire, allow firefighters, establish a security zone!”
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) called on military forces operating to “refrain from violence near the nuclear power plant” in a written statement. But videos clipped from portions of the live stream show what appear to be small arms fire and explosions:
Built by the Soviet Union in the 1980s, the site is being defended by a Ukrainian military unit that is “in combat readiness” and operating on a full-time basis, according to the plant website. “As of 16:00 on March 3, 2022, Zaporizhzhya NPP is operating normally. The current capacity of the power units of ZNPP and other NPPs of Ukraine is quite sufficient for the full life of the population and industrial facilities.”
This is a breaking news post that will be updated as more information becomes available.
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