Ukraine minister warns about nuclear plant fire, says could be worse than chernobyl

Ukraine’s minister, Dmytro Kuleba, issued a grim warning on Friday about a fire at a nuclear power facility, one of Europe’s largest, following Moscow’s strike. “The Russian army is firing from all sides at the Zaporizhzhia NPP, Europe’s largest nuclear power station. Fire has already started. If it explodes, it will be ten times the size of Chernobyl! Russians must IMMEDIATELY put out the fire, enable firemen to work, and set up a security zone!” he tweeted about it.

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Ukrainian and Russian soldiers are engaged in a heavy gunfight over the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station, Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, in the Ukrainian city of Enerhodar.

On Thursday, a massive Russian convoy surrounded the energy centre, and Ukrainian soldiers attacked the Russian convoy on the outskirts of the city, according to the Associated Press, quoting Enerhodar Mayor Dmytro Orlov.

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Footage circulated on social media also showed Ukrainian citizens assembling to obstruct Russia’s march on the nuclear power facility.

For those who don’t know, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station in Enerhodar is not only Europe’s largest nuclear power plant but also one of the top ten largest nuclear power plants in the world. The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Facility features six reactors, each of which generates 950 MW, bringing the overall power output capacity of the station to 5,700 MW.

This is not the first time Russian soldiers have struck a nuclear power station in Ukraine.

On February 24, just days after the invasion began, Russian forces launched an advance on the decommissioned Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, the site of the world’s worst nuclear accident.

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Despite heavy Ukrainian opposition and warnings that fighting near the power plant may lead to an “ecological calamity,” Russian soldiers were able to take control of the area.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, Russian soldiers advanced across Ukraine, achieving substantial military gains.

At the time of writing, Kherson had fallen, while Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, and the port city of Mariupol were both under siege. The Russian military has also surrounded Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital city, and the second round of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine to broker a truce has been set.