Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has issued a grim warning as intense fighting surrounded Europe’s biggest nuclear power plant over the weekend, fueling fears Russia’s invasion could plunge the world into a nuclear disaster.
Located in the Ukrainian city of Enerhodar along the Dnipro river, which is now Russian–occupied, the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is standing perilously close to the frontlines of battle between the two warring countries. On Friday, Russians shelled the power plant twice, damaging critical infrastructure and radiation sensors.
The attacks continued throughout the weekend. The nuclear power company Energoatom said in a Telegram post on Friday the attacks came within hours of each other, with the second attack using rocket-propelled grenades that struck Zaporizhzhia “near one of the power units where the nuclear reactor is located,” the company said.