Europe's Largest Nuclear Power Plant On Fire - Here's What Can Be The Potential Consequences

MOSCOW: As the second week of the Russian invasion of Ukraine is about to end, the country has suffered massive destruction which is still continuing on a high scale.

Amid the bombing by the Russian troops in Ukraine, the largest nuclear power plant of Europe 'Zaporizhzhia' is on fire after it came under attack.

The incident occurred during the early hours on Friday 4 (IST) as the Russian started shelling on the area near the nuclear plant located in Enerhodar city of Ukraine.

The state emergency service of Ukraine on Friday informed about the dangerous attack on the continent's largest nuclear plant.

The foreign ministry of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba urged the Russian military to immediately stop the firing on the nuclear plant and also called on the forces to allow a security zone to be established.

The nuclear power plant 'Zaporizhzhia' is the centre of 6 Soviet-designed 950 megawatt reactors that was set up during the years 1984 and 1995. The plant accounts for about 25 percent of the power generation in Ukraine.

In a video post of the nuclear plant's Facebook account, an unnamed official said that Zaporizhzhia has been set on fire after the bombing by Russian troops. The post added that firefighters can't reach the plant and the phone calls to the pant are unable to connect.

Andriy Tuz, a spokesperson from the plant said that bombs were falling directly on the plant and one of the 6 reactors of the facilities is set ablaze. He informed that the reactor is not operating currently as it is under restoration but there is nuclear fuel inside it.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zenlenskey addressed through a video call Thursday night and said that the Russian military is shooting at the power plant

Here's What Can Be The Potential Consequences:

This attack by the Russian forces has been raising extreme fear as radiation from the plant could leak and caused bigger issues.

The International Atomic Energy Agency informed that no change has been reported in radiation levels in the area but warns of severe danger if reactors are hit by the shelling.

This attack on a nuclear plant renews fear that it could lead to damage in one of the 15 nuclear reactors in Ukraine.

The invasion triggers another emergency situation similar to the Chernobyl accident in 1986 which is regarded as the worst nuclear disaster in the world that occurred 100 km north of Ukraine's capital Kyiv.

Jon B. Wolfsthal a former senior director for arms control stated that the reactors of Zaporizhzhia are different than the one at Chernobyl and little risk is associated.

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