Ukraine-Russia conflict: Here is why the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is so strategically significant

• The Russian troops in Ukraine reportedly shelled Europe’s largest nuclear power plant Zaporizhzhia on Friday early morning.
• The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe and among the 10 largest in the world.
• According to news agency Reuters, quoting local officials, the Russian troops have already seized the nuclear power plant in Ukraine.

Amidst an intense on-going battle between Ukraine and Russia, the Russian troops in Ukraine reportedly shelled Europe’s largest nuclear power plant Zaporizhzhia on Friday early morning. However, the fire has now been extinguished and there were no injuries, informed Ukraine's state emergency service on Friday.

The President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky also shared a video clip on Instagram alleging that the Russian troops have attacked the largest nuclear power plant in Europe.

What is the significance of the Zaporizhzhia power plant?

The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station, located in Enerhodar, Ukraine, is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe and among the 10 largest in the world.

The plant has 6 water-water energetic reactors, with pressurised light water nuclear reactors (PWR), each fuelled with U235 (LEU or enriched uranium ) and generating 950 watt for a total power output of 5,700 watt.

This power plant generates nearly half of the country's electricity and Enerhodar accounts for one-quarter of the country's power generation.

Can the power plant explode?

The spokesperson of the nuclear plant, Andriy Tuz, said in a video posted on Telegram, “There is a real threat of nuclear danger in the biggest atomic energy station in Europe. Shells are falling directly on the Zaporizhzhia plant and have set fire to one of the facility’s six reactors. The reactor is under renovation and not operating, but there is nuclear fuel inside.”

Ukraine’s foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba asked Russia to stop firing and allow firefighters to extinguish the fire. He said, in a tweet, “Russians must IMMEDIATELY cease the fire, allow firefighters, establish a security zone.”

He further said, “Russian army is firing from all sides upon Zaporizhzhia NPP, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe. Fire has already broke [sic] out. If it blows up, it will be 10 times larger than Chernobyl!”

The Chernobyl disaster was a nuclear accident that occurred on 26 April 1986 at the No. 4 reactor in the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, which is near the city of Pripyat in the north of the Ukrainian SSR in the Soviet Union. It is considered the worst nuclear disaster in history both in cost and casualties, reportedly.

However, Jennifer Granholm, the United States Energy Secretary, clarified in a statement “There was no indication of elevated radiation levels at the Zaporizhzhia plant, which provides more than a fifth of total electricity generated in Ukraine.”

Has Russia taken over the largest power plant?

According to news agency Reuters, quoting local officials, the Russian troops have already seized the nuclear power plant in Ukraine.

And also, some media reports say that Russia had already captured the defunct Chernobyl plant, which is located 100 kilometres north of Kyiv.

The Russians also announced that they have captured the southern city of Kherson, making it the first to fall since the beginning of the invasion, as per a report by the Times of India.

Intense shelling and bombing across Ukraine have been seen, including capital Kiev and the second largest city of Kharkiv, since February 24.

Ukraine has so far reported over 2,000 civilian casualties and the United Nations also estimates that over one million people have fled to neighbouring countries such as Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary and Moldova.

SEE ALSO:
Maruti Suzuki, Biocon, Asian Paints, Indigo among 10 worst stocks that made investors poorer this week
Even a big fundraise is not helping Vodafone investors as Russia-Ukraine conflict takes the wind out of global markets