Russian forces pressed ahead on the ninth day of their assault on Ukraine by shelling Europe’s largest nuclear plant early Friday in Enerhodar.
Smoke coming out of the facility was observed by the officials, the mayor of the nearby town of Energodar said.
This comes as intense fighting between local forces and Russian troops were reported, Dmytro Orlov said.
Meanwhile, Ukraine Foreign Affairs Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that Russia has launched the attacks from all sides of the nuclear plant reminding us the potential of threat the facility holds if it blows up.
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“Russian army is firing from all sides upon Zaporizhzhia NPP, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe. Fire has already broken out. If it blows up, it will be 10 times larger than Chernobyl!” said Kuleba
Earlier, Ukrainian authorities reported Russian troops were stepping up efforts to seize the plant and had entered the town with tanks.
“As a result of continuous enemy shelling of buildings and units of the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is on fire,” Orlov said on his Telegram channel, citing what he called a threat to world security. He did not give details.
Thousands are thought to have died or been wounded as the biggest attack on a European state since World War Two unfolds, compelling over a million people in Ukraine to flee and pushing the world towards one of the biggest military conflicts of the 21st century in the west.