A fire at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, didn’t affect essential equipment at the facility, according to the United Nations’ International Atomic Energy Agency.
Ukrainian officials earlier had said Russian forces shelled the plant, prompting Ukraine’s foreign minister to call for a cease-fire so authorities could secure the area.
“Fire has already broke out. If it blows up, it will be 10 times larger than Chornobyl! Russians must IMMEDIATELY cease the fire, allow firefighters, establish a security zone!,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote on Twitter, referring to the Chernobyl nuclear disaster of 1986.
President Biden spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky about the situation at the plant on Thursday night Washington time, according to the White House.
“President Biden joined President Zelenskyy in urging Russia to cease its military activities in the area and allow firefighters and emergency responders to access the site,” the White House said in a statement.
Mr. Biden also spoke with top U.S. nuclear security officials about the incident.
The IAEA said on Twitter that was in contact with Ukrainian authorities and that Ukrainian regulators told the agency there had been no reported changes in radiation levels at the site.
IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi spoke with Ukrainian officials about the incident. The agency said on Twitter that he is appealing for a “halt of use of force and warns of severe danger if reactors hit.”
Earlier this week, the IAEA expressed concern about the safety of Ukraine’s nuclear plants, noting that Russian military forces were advancing on the Zaporizhzhia facility.
The plant is located near the city of Enerhodar in the southeastern part of Ukraine.