Anish Vij
Europe's largest nuclear plant in Ukraine has now been seized by Russia after a blaze broke out on Friday morning (4 March).
The flames have since been extinguished by emergency services.
A CCTV camera at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant was live-streaming the assault on YouTube for several hours.
Ukrainian State Emergency Services confirmed that the blaze at the facility had occurred, 350 miles south of Kyiv.
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According to the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine (SNRIU) 'the military forces of the Russian Federation committed shelling the Zaporizhzhia NPP site, as a result of which a fire broke out on the ZNPP site'.
They say that current information 'on the dead and injured is absent' after the fire was eventually extinguished by the Ukrainian State Emergency Service units.
The SNRIU have said: "The Zaporizhzhia NPP site has been seized by the military forces of the Russian Federation.
"The personnel continue working at their workplaces, operational personnel monitor the state of power units and ensure their operation in accordance with the requirements of the process procedures for safe operation.
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"Walkdowns are also carried out to identify any damages on the site."
They added: "Changes in the radiation situation have not been registered.
"Currently, the cool down of nuclear fuel at Zaporizhzhia NPP power units is ensured by the design systems of power units in accordance with the requirements of the process procedures for safe operation.
"The loss of the possibility to cool down nuclear fuel will lead to significant radioactive releases into the environment."
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They warned: "As a result, such an event may exceed all previous accidents at nuclear power plants, including the Chornobyl accident and the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
"It shall be reminded that in addition to six power units at the Zaporizhzhya NPP site, there is a spent nuclear fuel storage facility, damage of which due to shelling will also lead to radioactive releases."
Earlier today (4 March), Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of unleashing 'nuclear terror' after his forces attacked the plant. Zelenskyy even claimed that the Russian President wanted to repeat the Chernobyl disaster, which many consider to be the worst nuclear disaster in history.
"You know the word Chernobyl," he said.
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"No country other than Russia has ever fired on nuclear power units. This is the first time in our history. In the history of mankind.
"The terrorist state now resorted to nuclear terror."
Zelensky added: "Europe needs to wake up. The biggest nuclear power plant in Europe is on fire right now.
"Russian tanks are shooting at the nuclear blocks. These are tanks equipped with thermal imagers, so they know what they are aiming at."
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