Russian troops fire at Ukraine's largest nuclear power plant, official says
Russian troops are firing at Ukraine's largest nuclear power plant, officials said.
"Russian army is firing from all sides upon Zaporizhzhia NPP, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe," Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba tweeted early Friday. "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!"
Andriy Tuz, a spokesperson for the power plant, warned in videos posted to Telegram that Russian shelling caused a fire at the plant. He said the first power unit was hit and that rescuers have not yet been able to put out the fire due to the ongoing shelling.
The International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations nuclear watchdog group, said only Unit 4 was in operation currently and "radiation levels and fire safety at the NPP is within the norm." The fire broke out at a training building outside the power plant, the IAEA said.
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The power plant's livestream captured blasts and a fire at the facility.
The situation at Ukraine's largest nuclear power plant has become "critical," authorities had warned earlier Thursday as Russian troops approached the site.
"The battle is going on in the town of Enerhodar and on the road to the ZNPP (Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant) site," Ukraine's regulatory authority said in an "urgent letter" to the IAEA.
Ukraine reported that Russian tanks and infantry “broke through the block-post” to the town of Enerhodar, near the power plant, according to IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi, who called on troops to refrain from use of force.
During an emergency IAEA board of governors meeting this week, Grossi warned that an incident affecting nuclear facilities "could have severe consequences, aggravating human suffering and causing environmental harm" beyond Ukraine's borders.
IAEA tweeted it is aware of reports of shelling at the power plant and is in contact with Ukrainian authorities.
-ABC News' Cindy Smith, Kirit Radia and Bill Hutchinson