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.
06:32 AM
Nuclear power plant essential equipment unaffected and no change in radiation levels, says IAEA
Essential equipment at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant was unaffected after a fire there, with no change in radiation levels, the International Atomic Energy Agency said on Friday, citing the country’s regulatory authorities.
Ukraine had said the plant in the city was shelled overnight, the IAEA added.
“The Ukraine regulatory authority said a fire at the site had not affected ‘essential’ equipment and plant personnel were taking mitigatory actions,” it said. “There was no reported change in radiation levels at the plant, it said.”
06:16 AM
Coinbase will follow the law if US imposes crypto sanctions on Russia
The CEO of Coinbase Brian Armstrong says his company will follow the law if the US imposes a ban on crypto currencies in Russia.
“Every US company has to follow the law – it doesn’t matter if your company handles dollars, crypto, gold, real estate or even non financial assets. Sanctions laws apply to all US people and businesses.”
Mr Armstrong added, however, that the risk of Russian oligarchs using crypto currency to avoid sanctions is relatively low due to it being more traceable than cash or gold, while also proving useful for ordinary Russian people.
“In addition, we are not preemptively banning all Russians from using Coinbase. We believe everyone deserves access to basic financial services unless the law says otherwise.”
“Some ordinary Russians are using crypto as a lifeline now that their currency has collapsed. Many of them likely oppose what their country is doing, and a ban would hurt them, too. That said, if the US government decides to impose a ban, we will of course follow those laws.”
1/ We’ve been seeing some questions/discussion around whether crypto can be used to avoid sanctions. A few thoughts…
— Brian Armstrong – barmstrong.eth (@brian_armstrong) March 4, 2022
05:52 AM
Where Ukraine’s nuclear reactors are located
05:44 AM
Russian tech giant Yandex says might default
Russian tech giant Yandex warned on Thursday it may default on its debt after it was suspended from trading on New York’s digital stock exchange.
Nasdaq and the New York Stock Exchange this week halted all listings of Russian companies until they explain how they will be impacted by sanctions imposed by the US and its allies in the wake of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
Yandex, which is legally headquartered in the Netherlands but has its main offices in Russia, said that it was not targeted by the sanctions.
“There are currently no regulatory restrictions on the ability of US, UK or EU persons to acquire and trade in Yandex’s securities,” it added.
05:36 AM
Pictured: Shelling of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Energodar
05:29 AM
Shelling at nuclear power plant stops
The mayor of Energodar Dmytro Orlov says shelling at the Zaporizhzhya power plant has now stopped, according to local media.
04:59 AM
Fire at nuclear power plant extinguished
Ukraine emergency services say they have extinguished the fire at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
“At 06:20 the fire in the training building of Zaporizhzhya NPP in Energodar was extinguished. There are no victims.”
04:51 AM
Aeroflot to continue carry passengers despite ban
Russia’s Aeroflot said it will continue to carry passengers despite being excluded from the sabre ticket booking system, RIA News reported.
The airline, which is the largest government-majority owned carrier in Russia, was kicked off the marketplace used by travel agencies and travel websites on Thursday due to the conflict in Ukraine.
Announcing the ban on Thursday, Sabre CEO Sean Menke said: “Sabre has been monitoring the evolving situation in Ukraine with increasing concern. From the beginning, our primary focus has been the safety of our team members in the impacted region, as well as doing our part to support the much-needed relief efforts.”
04:36 AM
Airbnb suspends Russia operations
Home rental company Airbnb Inc is suspending all operations in Russia and Belarus, Chief Executive Officer Brian Chesky said in a tweet on Thursday.
Airbnb is suspending all operations in Russia and Belarus
— Brian Chesky ???????? (@bchesky) March 4, 2022
04:05 AM
Czechs ready to send 400 troops to boost Nato’s eastern flank
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.
I just spoke with Ukraine’s energy minister about the situation at the Zaphorizhizia nuclear plant. Russian military operations near the plant are reckless and must cease. 1/
— Secretary Jennifer Granholm (@SecGranholm) March 4, 2022
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 in an attack that 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 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.
❗️Important information from Zaporizhzhia NPP:
????At the moment, the third power unit was shut down at the plant and only the fourth unit is working;
????The radiation and fire safety conditions at the nuclear power plant are within normal limits. pic.twitter.com/qspIFz8O7x— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) March 4, 2022
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.
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!
— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) March 4, 2022
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.
❗️According to Andrey Tuz, spokesman of the press service of the nuclear power plant, there is no threat of radiation spread.
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) March 4, 2022
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:
⚡️⚡️⚡️As a result of the shelling at the #Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, a fire started. The exact location of the fire is being specified. CCTV cameras at the plant show flames and smoke. pic.twitter.com/XoN2TzAVJu
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) March 3, 2022
01:14 AM
Today’s top stories
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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
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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
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There is increasing criticism of the war by influential Russians and businesses, including the country’s second-biggest oil and gas company
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Putin told Emmanuel Macron in a phone call that he would achieve his military aims “whatever happens” and would continue fighting until “the end”
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Videos emerged of tearful Russian prisoners of war calling on their countrymen to rise up against Putin
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Putin could announce martial law in Russia at an extraordinary session of the Russian parliament on Friday
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The White House confirmed for the first time that it was sharing real-time intelligence with Ukraine
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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
