Ukraine: A fire that broke out near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, reportedly following Ukrainian shelling, has been brought under control, according to the Russian-installed administration overseeing the facility in Russian-held Ukraine.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported that its team stationed at the plant heard multiple explosions and observed smoke rising from a site approximately 1,200 metres from the facility’s perimeter.

In a statement issued via Telegram, the plant’s administration confirmed that a civilian was killed in the shelling. However, no employees of the facility or members of the emergency services were injured in the incident.

Radiation levels said to be normal

Though the Zaporizhzhia plant, Europe’s largest nuclear power station, remains shut down, it still requires electricity to keep its nuclear fuel cool. The Russia-installed management assured that radiation levels are within normal limits and that the overall situation is under control.

Russian forces seized control of the facility in the early weeks of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Since then, both Ukrainian and Russian officials have repeatedly accused each other of actions around the plant that could potentially lead to a nuclear accident.

Missile and drone attacks reported overnight

In a separate development, Russian forces launched a missile attack on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, early on Sunday. The city’s military administration confirmed the strike, and residents reported hearing a loud explosion shortly after midnight, which shook buildings across the area.

Meanwhile, a Ukrainian drone strike reportedly caused a fire at an oil depot in the Russian city of Sochi, according to regional Governor Veniamin Kondratyev.

Fires and injury in Voronezh

Additionally, several residential homes caught fire in the Russian city of Voronezh during the same period. A woman sustained a leg injury in the incident, as confirmed by the regional governor.

(with agency inputs)