News Feed

Russian forces start fire at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Ukraine says

1 min read
Russian forces start fire at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Ukraine says
A fire at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant on Aug. 11, 2024. (Screenshot / President Volodymyr Zelensky / Telegram)

A reported fire at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) was likely started by the Russian military, Ukrainian officials said on Aug. 11.

Russian forces set fire to "a large number of automobile tires in cooling towers," Yevhen Yevtushenko, the head of the military administration in Nikopol, said on Aug. 11, citing sources across the river in occupied Enerhodar.

"Perhaps this is a provocation or an attempt to create panic in the settlements on the right bank of the former reservoir," he said.

According to Yevtoshenko, radiation levels at the plant are normal.

President Volodymyr Zelensky called on the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to hold Russia accountable for the provocation.

"As long as Russian terrorists retain control of the nuclear power plant, the situation is not and cannot be normal," Zelensky said in a Telegram post Aug. 11.

"We are waiting for the world's reaction, waiting for the IAEA's reaction."

The Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Europe's largest nuclear power station, has been under Russian occupation since March 2022. Its position near the front line has led to heightened nuclear safety risks throughout Russia's full-scale war.

Nearly 5,000 workers evacuated from Russian-occupied nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhia, minister says
Around 5,000 workers were rescued from the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said on July 19 during a press conference.
Article image
Avatar
Abbey Fenbert

Senior News Editor

Abbey Fenbert is a senior news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She is a freelance writer, editor, and playwright with an MFA from Boston University. Abbey served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine from 2008-2011.

Read more
News Feed

The World Bank will provide $200 million over the next five years to prepare Ukrainian projects for large-scale reconstruction, the Economy Ministry announced on July 11. The funding will be available under the five-year PREPARE program with the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA).

Video

Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, war has become a daily reality for thousands of Ukrainian children. Some Ukrainian military units, such as the Azov Brigade, offer boot camps for teenagers to teach them the basics of self-defense, first aid, dry firing, and other survival skills — helping them prepare for both the realities of today and the uncertainties of the future.

Show More