Fox News is reporting Russian forces are shelling the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. The facility is the largest nuclear power plant on the continent of Europe and is home to six reactors. Now, it is caught in the crossfire of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. There are reports of a fire at the facility, and Fox News’ Lucas Tomlinson is assuring viewers that the buildings that house the six reactors are not ablaze–just offices or administrative buildings at this time.
Early reports say it appears that Russian and Ukrainian forces are fighting for control of the facility. It is estimated to provide power to 25% of Ukraine. Taking the plant offline because of the emergency could cripple Ukraine’s response to Russia’s military advance. Reuters is reporting that Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba confirmed the fire and said, “If it blows up, it will be ten times larger than Chornobyl! Russians must IMMEDIATELY cease the fire, allow firefighters, establish a security zone!”
Live footage from the facility is streaming online, and firefighting is visible occasionally:
Video cameras captured the moment the fire started on film:
У результаті обстрілів російських окупантів на Запорізькій АЕС виникла пожежа. Дивіться, як це було pic.twitter.com/WauO63LdN9
— hromadske (@HromadskeUA) March 4, 2022
According to Fox News, there are emergency stops on the reactors, and operators can shut them down in an emergency. However, commentators online are concerned about the reactors having time to cool down. This is a breaking story, and PJ Media will update our readers as the situation evolves.
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