Ukraine’s state nuclear regulator Energoatom, which controls the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, said on Friday that the facility “operates with the risk of violating radiation and fire safety regulations.”

In a message shared on Telegram and quoted by CNN, Energoatom stated that the bombing of the plant by Russian forces last week represents “a serious risk to safe operation.”

“As a result of the attack on the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, emergency protection was activated at one of the power units; one of the three operating power units is now offline,” Ukraine’s state nuclear regulator said.

Despite being controlled by Russian forces, most of the plant’s employees remain Ukrainians and this facility “continues to function” and “produces electricity for the needs of the domestic energy system.” Last week, Energoatom had already warned that as a result of a Russian attack there was a high risk of “fire”, “hydrogen leak and radioactive spray” at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant.

The UN demilitarization proposal and Medvedev’s threat

The United Nations has ruled on the risk of a nuclear accident at the Zaporizhia plant. “I am extremely concerned,” Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said last weekend. There is a “long series of increasingly alarming reports” coming from both sides of the Russo-Ukrainian conflict.

Is the situation at the Zaporizhia NPP under control? We are in “completely uncharted territory”

This Thursday, the Secretary General of the United Nations, António Guterres, requested that the nuclear plant “not be used as part of any military operation” and suggested an agreement to establish a “security and demilitarization perimeter.”

The Russian representative to the UN, Vasyl Nebenzia, stated, however, that Russia does not support this proposal. “The demilitarization of the station could make it vulnerable to those who want to visit it. No one knows what your goals would be. We cannot exclude provocations or terrorist attacks on the plant, which we must protect.”

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev reacted to Ukraine’s accusations that Russia attacked the nuclear power plant. [atacou Zaporíjia]”. “This is obviously 100% nonsenseeven for the stupid Russophobic public,” Medvedev said on a Telegram channel.

The vice president of the Russian National Security Council went further and left a veiled threat to Europe. “What can I say? Let’s not forget that the European Union also has nuclear power plants. Accidents can happen there too,” he wrote.