Russian troops shell Europe's Largest Nuclear Power Plant, Ukraine calls for ceasefire

Kyiv (Ukraine): The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), located in southern Ukraine, has reported a fire on its territory, media reports said on Friday. The Zaporizhzhia NPP is located in the Zaporizhzhia region, and is the biggest nuclear power plant in Europe, Sputnik news agency reported. On Monday, the Russian Defense Ministry said that the Russian troops had established control over Enerhodar.

"There is a fire at the nuclear power plant," the NPP's press service said in a statement. Russian media reports said it was unclear how significant the fire is and whether it was caused by the hostilities.

Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba claimed that the Russian army is firing from all sides upon Zaporizhzhia NPP. Taking to Twitter, Kuleba said if the nuclear plant blows up, "it will be 10 times larger than Chornobyl."

"Russian army is firing from all sides upon Zaporizhzhia NPP, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe. Fire has already broken out. If it blows up, it will be 10 times larger than Chornobyl! Russians must IMMEDIATELY cease the fire, allow firefighters, establish a security zone," Kuleba tweeted.

Adviser to the Head of the President's Office Mykhailo Podoliak posted on Twitter, "Zaporizhzhia NPP is under fire! The entire Europe is at risk of a repeat of the nuclear catastrophe. Russians must stop fire!"

The Chernobyl disaster was a nuclear accident that occurred in April 1986 in the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, near the city of Pripyat in the north of the Ukrainian SSR in the Soviet Union. This disaster is considered the worst nuclear disaster in history both in cost and casualties.

With agency inputs