According to Ukrainian authorities, Russian forces seized Europe’s largest nuclear power facility after a building was set ablaze amid a severe battle with Ukrainian defenders.
Before authorities declared the fire in a building designated as a training center had been doused, fears of a probable nuclear accident at the Zaporizhzhia plant had caused anxiety throughout the world.
Meanwhile, fighting in southern Ukraine escalated, with Kherson becoming the first city to fall under Russian control, with bombardment continuing in Mariupol, Chernihiv, and Kharkiv. Heavy fighting continues on the outskirts of Mariupol, a strategic port city on the Azov Sea.
The Russian military asserts control of Kherson, and local Ukrainian officials have confirmed that Russian forces control local government buildings in the Black Seaport.
Meanwhile, a Ukraine delegation dispatched to Moscow said the two countries had agreed to construct corridors for civilians to exit conflict zones safely. According to Mykhailo Podolyak, a Zelenskyy adviser, the galleries will feature cease-fires along the way.
‘Wake-up call for Europe’
“Europeans, please wake up. Tell your politicians — Russian troops are shooting at a nuclear power plant in Ukraine,” Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in a video address.
Mr. Zelenskiy said Russian tanks had shot at the nuclear reactor plants, though there was no evidence cited that they had been hit.
The Mayor of the nearby town of Energodar said fierce fighting and “continuous enemy shelling” had caused casualties in the area, without providing details.
Early reports of the incident at the power plant sent financial markets in Asia spiralling, with stocks tumbling and oil prices surging further.
Published By – Vanshu Mehra
Edited By – Kritika Kashyap
