Ukraine and Russia trade blame for fire at occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant

NEWS WIRES

11 August 2024 at 4:42 pm·1-min read

Kyiv and Moscow traded blame on Sunday after a fire broke out at a cooling tower of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, under the control of Russian forces. Moscow-installed officials said early Monday the blaze at a cooling tower had been "completely extinguished".

A fire broke out Sunday at a cooling tower of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine, with Kyiv and Moscow trading blame for the incident.

Ukraine, Russia and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said there had been no detected spike in radiation levels or any impact on nuclear safety.

A Moscow-installed official, Vladimir Rogov, said the blaze at a cooling tower has been "completely extinguished" in a Telegram post Monday.

He and Yevgeny Balitsky, the Moscow-installed governor of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region, blamed "Ukrainian armed forces" for the incident.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a social media post that "Russian occupiers have started a fire" at the plant, accusing them of trying to "blackmail" Kyiv.

"Currently, radiation levels are within the norm," he added. Balitsky and the facility's press service also reported the "radiation background" around the facility was normal.

Kyiv has accused Russia of purposefully starting the fire.

(AFP)

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