Radiation levels at the nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, which was bombed by Russia, are within normal limits, according to the UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) this Saturday (5th). According to the IAEA, two of the six reactors at the unit, the largest in Europe, are currently operating and the safety systems and radiation levels remain within normal parameters.
One of the buildings in the complex, which is hundreds of meters from the reactors, was hit on Thursday night by a projectile launched by Russian troops, who took control of the facility, although the operation remained with Ukrainian officials. Since then, Ukrainian authorities have remained in contact with experts at the center, the IAEA said in a statement.
The Ukrainian government said that the building hit by the attack is a training center, suffered considerable damage during the explosion, and that the fire also affected a laboratory and an area of offices. Of the six reactors at Zaporizhzhia, only one is at full capacity, while the rest are either offline or in maintenance mode.
The used fuel pools work normally and have not suffered damage, according to the AEIA, which also pointed out that three other Ukrainian nuclear plants work normally. EAIA Director General Rafael Grossi insisted that it is essential that employees at Ukraine’s nuclear facilities can rest in order to carry out activities safely. Yesterday, Russian forces also prevented the shift change of officials in Zaporizhzhia, where, according to Grossi, “the situation is tense”.
Jessa Martin is the author of Nogmagazine, A professional in writing by day, and novelist by night, she received her bachelor of arts in film from Howard University and her master of arts in media studies from the New School. A Brooklyn native, she is a lover of naps, cookie dough, and beaches, currently residing in the borough she loves, most likely multitasking.