Russia seized
Zaporizhzhia, Europe’s biggest nuclear plant, only a week into its invasion of
Ukraine. This week, there was shelling at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant which
triggered worries around the world. Several buildings and a power cable, and
one offline reactor were destroyed, according to Ukraine’s national energy company
Energoatom.

The West
has accused Russia of nuclear terrorism for stationing hundreds of troops and stores
of weapons to be used as “shield” for the bombardment of nearby targets. Moscow
on the other hand has repeatedly slammed Ukraine for attacking the plant. Dmitry
Peskov, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s press secretary, said Ukrainian shelling
is “fraught with catastrophic consequences for vast territories, for all of
Europe.”

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Meanwhile,
the city of Zaporizhzhia, which continues to be under Ukrainian control, is
planning to evacuate civilians in the eventuality of a radiation leak.

The Zaporizhzhia
nuclear plant was built in the Soviet Union in the 1980s. It is among the 10
most powerful nuclear power stations in the world. Moscow took a little over a
week to capture the plant at Enerhodar, a city located around a two-hour drive
southwest of Zaporizhzhia.

Also Read | Zaporizhzhia plant fire in Ukraine puts French nuclear watchdog on alert

The
offensive marked the first time a war had broken out in a country with such a
large and advanced nuclear arsenal. Moscow is “blackmailing the whole world
with the possibility of a nuclear disaster,” according to Hryhoriy Plachkov,
former head of the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine.

While it is
not known how many of the nuclear plant’s 11,000 pre-war staff continue to work
at the site. One former employee told NBC News that it was “very scary for them
to work” under Russian control, amid reports that some of them were being held
hostage.

The
Zaporizhzhia city council was preparing a public information campaign “to
explain the rules of behaviour of the population in the event of an emergency,”
said Anatolii Kurtev, its secretary, said in a Telegram post. “However, for now
these are only preventive measures,” he said.