MOSCOW — Russian forces are being blamed for stoking fears of a nuclear disaster after the apparent shelling of a Ukrainian nuclear power plant.
The International Atomic Energy Agency says the fire at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is now out after a building connected to the power plant was shelled by Russian forces. The building is not part of the plant’s reactor, they say.
Many fear that the fire at the plant caused by the shelling could have resulted in a nuclear disaster ten times worse than Chernobyl.
The plant is reportedly “secured” and “still has essential functions,” according to the IAEA.
A spokesperson at the plant also says the fighting around the plant has stopped, and radiation levels near the plant are currently normal. Andrii Tuz told CNN that it’s not yet known if the plant suffered any critical damage.
The White House says President Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke Thursday night about the situation, and Biden joined his Ukrainian counterpart in calling for Russia to allow firefighters and emergency responders into the area.
