Russia-Ukraine latest news: ‘Normal radiation’ at nuclear plant shot at by Russians

Radiation levels at a nuclear power plant shot at by Russian forces are “within normal limits”, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said, after a fire broke out at the Zaporizhzhya station.

The plant was targeted by Russian rockets and gunfire on Thursday and a blaze started on the site, which is Europe’s largest nuclear plant.

Boris Johnson and Joe Biden spoke with President Zelensky after news broke about the fire.

A Downing Street spokeswoman called the situation “gravely concerning”, adding: “Both leaders agreed that Russia must immediately cease its attack on the power station and allow unfettered access for emergency services to the plant.

“The Prime Minister said the reckless actions of President Putin could now directly threaten the safety of all of Europe.”

Andriy Tuz, a spokesman for the plant, said firefighters are unable to reach the scene of the blaze because they are being shot at.

Mr Tuz told Ukrainian television that shells were falling directly on the Zaporizhzhia plant and had set fire to one of the facility’s six reactors. That reactor is under renovation and not operating, but there is nuclear fuel inside, he said.

Ukraine’s foreign minister on Friday morning warned that an explosion could be “10 times larger than Chernobyl”.

Dmytro Kuleba tweeted: “Russian army is firing from all sides upon Zaporizhzhia NPP, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe. Fire has already broke out. If it blows up, it will be 10 times larger than Chornobyl!

“Russians must IMMEDIATELY cease the fire, allow firefighters, establish a security zone!”

​​Follow the latest updates below.

04:05 AM

Czechs ready to send 400 troops to boost Nato’s eastern flank

Story continues

The Czech Republic could contribute 400 troops to a battlegroup in neighbouring Slovakia as part of Nato’s plans to bolster its eastern flank, Defence Minister Jana Cernochova said on Thursday.

Nato has sought to strengthen its presence in eastern countries of the military alliance in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which borders Slovakia and other central European nations like Hungary, Romania and Poland.

The new battlegroup would include troops from those countries along with Bulgaria, Ms Cernochova said.

The Czechs would send personnel for posts in command and connection, logistics, policing and a mechanised unit, she said.

Slovakia’s defence minister said last Saturday that the country could host a battlegroup being formed that would include 1,200 foreign troops and a Patriot missile defence system manned by German and Dutch personnel.

03:44 AM

US Energy Department monitoring nuclear plant fire

US Secretary Jennifer Granholm said the US Department of Energy has activated its Nuclear Incident Response Team and is monitoring the situation in which a nuclear plant caught fire after it was attacked by Russian forces.

She said so far there has been no elevated radiation readings near the facility.

03:26 AM

‘All of Europe’ threatened by power plant shelling, says Johnson

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said Russia’s shelling of a nuclear power station in the south-eastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia could “directly threaten the safety of all of Europe”.

One of the power station’s – the largest in Europe – six reactors caught fire after it was attacked by Russia. While the reactor is under renovation, according to the power plant’s spokesman, it still contains nuclear fuel.

In an early morning phone call with Ukrainian President Zelensky, Mr Johnson vowed to seek an emergency UN Security Council meeting in a bid for a ceasefire.

Downing Street called the situation in Zaporizhzhia “gravely concerning”.

“Both leaders agreed that Russia must immediately cease its attack on the power station and allow unfettered access for emergency services to the plant,” a spokeswoman for the PM’s office said.

03:14 AM

Russian tanks knew what they fired at when hitting plant, says Zelensky

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky suggested Russian tanks had intentionally fired on the country’s major nuclear power facility and risked causing an accident of catastrophic proportions.

“Europe has to wake up [in the middle of the night]. The biggest European nuclear power plant is on fire. Right now, the Russian tanks are firing at the nuclear blocks. Those tanks have IR guidance systems, so they know what they fire at,” according to a translation tweeted by local journalist Victor Kovalenko.

“I am talking to Ukrainians, Europeans, anybody who knows the word Chernobyl, who knows how many deaths was caused by that explosion. It was a global catastrophe. Hundreds of thousands of people had to diminish the aftermath of that incident.”

02:53 AM

Biden joins Zelensky in denouncing attack on nuclear plant

US President Joe Biden joined Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in urging Russia to cease its military activities in the area where a nuclear plant had been shot and was on fire, and allow firefighters and emergency responders to access the site.

02:29 AM

Safety of nuclear power plant now secured

Ukrainian authorities say the safety of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is now secured, AFP reports.

A fire broke out at the major plant when it came under fire from Russian forces,

The director of the plant, Oleksandr Starukh, said “the nuclear safety is now guaranteed.”

02:22 AM

Only fourth power unit working at stricken plant

The third third power unit at the stricken nuclear power plant has been shut down with only the fourth working, reports local media.

02:16 AM

In pictures: Anti-tank hedgehogs laid out in Kyiv

02:07 AM

Power plant explosion could be ‘10 times larger than Chernobyl’

An explosion at the nuclear plant where a fire has broken out could be 10 times larger than Chernobyl, said Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine’s minister of foreign affairs.

Firefighters have been prevented by Russian fire from putting out the blaze which erupted on Friday.

01:30 AM

‘No threat of radiation from power plant fire’

There is no threat of radiation spreading from the fire at Europe’s largest nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhya, the plant’s spokesperson has reportedly said.

The plant, which provides up to 25 per cent of the country’s power generation, was struck by Russian bullets and rockets on Thursday, with elevated levels of radiation detected shortly after, according to officials.

01:15 AM

Footage of fire at power plant

A video shared on social media appears to show CCTV footage of the fire at the Zaporizhzhia plant:

01:14 AM

Today’s top stories

• Vladimir Putin vowed to “seize the whole of Ukraine” and made clear that “the worst is yet to come” as he drew up plans to crush dissent in Russia by imposing martial law

• Putin insisted on Thursday that the invasion was “going strictly to schedule”, despite claims from Ukrainian officials that 9,000 Russian soldiers have been killed

• There is increasing criticism of the war by influential Russians and businesses, including the country’s second-biggest oil and gas company

• Putin told Emmanuel Macron in a phone call that he would achieve his military aims “whatever happens” and would continue fighting until “the end”

• Videos emerged of tearful Russian prisoners of war calling on their countrymen to rise up against Putin

• Putin could announce martial law in Russia at an extraordinary session of the Russian parliament on Friday

• The White House confirmed for the first time that it was sharing real-time intelligence with Ukraine

• In the UK, the Government announced sanctions against Russian oligarchs Alisher Usmanov – a former shareholder in Arsenal FC – and Igor Shuvalov, a former deputy prime minister of Russia