Ukraine re-takes control of Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant: Report

Kayiv, Mar 05: The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is back under Ukrainian control, a day after Russian forces allegedly attacked and captured the plant in southeastern Ukraine.

Illia Ponomarenko, a defence reporter at The Kyiv Independent, tweeted that the nuclear power plant - the largest in all of Europe - had been taken back by Ukraine.

⚡️Zaporizhia nuclear power plant back under Ukrainian control

— Illia Ponomarenko (@IAPonomarenko) March 5, 2022

Facing worldwide indignation over the attack, Russia sought to deflect blame. Without producing evidence, Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov blamed arson rather than artillery fire. He claimed a Ukrainian sabotage group had occupied the training building at the plant, fired on a Russian patrol and set fire to the building as they left.

There had been conflicting reports earlier over which part of the Zaporizhzhia facility had been affected in the attack, with an official saying at one point that shells fell directly on the facility and set fire to a reactor not in operation as well as a training building. Grossi later said that the fire was in the training center.

The confusion itself underscored the dangers of active fighting near a nuclear power plant. It was the second time since the invasion began just over a week ago that concerns about a nuclear accident or a release of radiation materialized, following a battle at Chernobyl.

Grossi said only one reactor of six at Zaporizhzhia is currently operating, at about 60% capacity, and that two people at the site were injured in the fire. Ukraine's state nuclear plant operator Enerhoatom said three Ukrainian soldiers were killed and two wounded.

The plant fire came as the Russian military advanced on a strategic city on the Dnieper River near where the facility is located, and gained ground in their bid to cut the country off from the sea. That move would deal a severe blow to Ukraine's economy and could worsen an already dire humanitarian situation.

With the invasion in its second week, another round of talks between Russia and Ukraine yielded a tentative agreement to set up safe corridors to evacuate citizens and deliver humanitarian aid to the country,

overturned by a war that has sent more than 1 million fleeing over the border and countless others sheltering underground. A handful cities are without heat and at least one is struggling to get food and water.

The attack on the nuclear facility led to phone calls between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. President Joe Biden and other world leaders. The U.S. Department of Energy activated its nuclear incident response team as a precaution.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called for an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council to raise the issue of Russia's attack on the plant.