Russian forces take full control of Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant

After the fire in the training building, the radioactive background in the area of ​​the Zaporizhzhia power plant remains normal. The personnel of the plant continue working to service the facilities of the NPP, the Russian Defence Ministry said in a statement.

According to the ministry, Ukrainian saboteurs took a monstrous provocative action on the territory of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. The purpose of the action was to accuse Russia of creating a hotbed of radioactive contamination, Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said.

The nuclear power plant remains under the control of the Russian Armed Forces. 

"On March 4, at about 2 a. m., while patrolling the protected area adjacent to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, a mobile patrol group of the Russian Guard was attacked by Ukrainian saboteurs,” the Defense Ministry said.

In order to provoke return fire on the building, the Ukrainian saboteurs opened heavy fire from small arms from the windows of the training complex, Konashenkov said.

"The Russian patrol group suppressed the fire. When leaving the building, the Ukrainian saboteurs set fire to the training building," the Defense Ministry said.

Firefighters put the fire out, the radioactive background in the area of ​​​​the power plant is normal, NPP employees continue servicing its facilities.

"The prompt statements that Zelensky made about the alleged threat to the nuclear power plant and his negotiations with Washington and London leave no doubt. The purpose of the provocation of the Kiev regime at the nuclear facility was to accuse Russia of attempts to create a hotbed of radioactive contamination,” Konashenkov said, noting that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had completely lost control over the actions of Ukrainian sabotage groups with the participation of foreign mercenaries.

On February 24, Russian forces took control of the territory of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

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The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station in Enerhodar, Ukraine, is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe and among the ten largest in the world. It is in southeastern Ukraine near the city of Enerhodar, on the southern shore of the Kakhovka Reservoir on the Dnieper River.

The plant has 6 VVER-1000 pressurized light water nuclear reactors (PWR), each fuelled with U235 (LEU) and generating 950 MWe, for a total power output of 5,700 MWe. The first five were successfully brought online between 1985 and 1989, and the sixth was added in 1995. The plant generates nearly half of the country's electricity derived from nuclear power, and more than a fifth of total electricity generated in Ukraine.