Russia-Ukraine War: Satellite Images Show Scary Damages at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant, Raise Fears of Radioactive Disaster

Satellite photographs released on Monday show local fires and damage to a structure at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station in southern Ukraine, which is being used as a shield by occupying Russian forces.

One photograph received by Insider from Maxar Technologies shows a couple of holes in the roof of a structure at the power plant that has experienced damage from fires and explosions during combat and shelling in the vicinity. A number of the holes appear to have darker burn marks around them, but what created them is unknown.

Images Show Destruction in Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant

Since early March, the Russian military has taken the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, Europe's largest. International monitors have repeatedly expressed fear that any conflict near the facility may lead to a huge tragedy. The largest nuclear power facility in Europe, Zaporizhzhia, is controlled by Russian military but managed by Ukrainian personnel.

In recent weeks, battles and shelling around the plant have damaged the facility and cut it off from the local power supply. Ukraine's official energy operator accused Russia last week of the outage, which it said was the first in the country's decades-long history. Shelling earlier this month also caused a temporary power outage at the plant, according to Business Insider,

Russia Accuses Ukraine of Attacking Near Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant

Russian-installed officials in Zaporizhzhia accused Ukraine of "constant shooting" on the plant on Monday, claiming that they were employing US-made M777 Howitzers. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will arrive in Kyiv on Monday evening.

"It is envisaged that the expedition will begin work at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear facility in the next days," Oleg Nikolenko, a spokesperson for Ukraine's foreign ministry, said on Facebook. In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia will secure the security of the IAEA delegation and urged other nations to put pressure on Ukraine to cease endangering the European continent by bombarding the land of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station and nearby territories.

The White House stated on Monday that Russia should agree to a demilitarized zone surrounding the reactor. The National Security Council's spokesperson, John Kirby, said a controlled shutdown of the facility would be the safest choice, as per The Telegraph via MSN.

A number of people have been killed in nearby fighting and bombing, and the facility was momentarily shut down last week, sparking concerns of a nuclear calamity.

Before the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) visits the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant on Monday, Ukrainian officials say at least ten people were injured in shelling by Russian forces in residential areas on Sunday night. Energoatom, Ukraine's nuclear operator, has reported that four nuclear power plant personnel were among the victims, Newsweek vis MSN reported.

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Russia, Ukraine