Ukraine: Shelling hits power lines at nuclear plant, both sides trade blame
- Ukraine’s state power company blamed Russian shelling for the damage at the Zaporizhzhia power station, while Russia said Ukrainian shells struck the plant
- Interfax reports say fire broke out and that power necessary for the safe functioning of reactors had been cut off
Shelling hit a high-voltage power line on Friday at a Ukrainian nuclear power plant captured by Russia, but Ukrainian authorities said the plant still worked and no radioactive leak had been detected.
Ukraine’s state nuclear power company Energoatom blamed Russian shelling for the damage at the Zaporizhzhia power station, Europe’s largest.
Earlier, the Russian-installed administration of the occupied Ukrainian city of Enerhodar said Ukrainian shells struck the lines at the plant, in the country’s southeast.
The Interfax news agency cited the city administration as saying fire had broken out on the plant’s premises, and that power necessary for the safe functioning of reactors had been cut off. The plant was captured by Russian forces in early March in the opening stage of the war.
Energoatom said the plant – located about 200km (160 miles) northwest of the Russian-held port of Mariupol – still worked and no radioactive discharges had been detected.
Further east, both sides claimed small advances while Russian artillery bombarded towns and villages across a wide area in a now-familiar tactic.