Ukraine news LATEST: Holes spotted in Europe's largest nuclear power station as fears of 'radiation disaster' rise | The Sun

FEARS of a nuclear disaster in Europe continue to rise, as new images show holes in the roof of the Zaporizhzhia power plant.

Allegedly caused by Putin's forces shelling the area around the power station, these shocking images show holes just meters in front of what appears to be Zaporizhzhya's number 2 nuclear reactor.

These growing fears come just days before the UN's atomic watchdog is set to visit the occupied power station.

Rafael Mariano Grossi director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has said his organisation is aware of this latest bombardment.

He said: “The latest shelling once again underlined the risk of a potential nuclear accident at the ZNPP, Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, which is controlled by Russian forces since early March but operated by its Ukrainian staff."

This comes just days after the power plant was forcibly disconnected from the Ukrainian grid after fires broke out nearby.

Following this, Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky claimed Europe was "one step away" from a radiation disaster.

As fears mount, iodine tablets have been issued in the Ukrainian-controlled city of Zaporizhzhia – about 27 miles from the site, in case of a radiation leak.

Read our Ukraine-Russia blog below for the latest updates…

  • Lauren Cole-Lomas

    Ukraine’s President Zelensky sacks another key member of staff

    Yaroslav Spodar has been dismissed from his role as the commander of Ukraine’s national guard.

    Ukrinform reported that he had been let go on 26 August.

  • Lauren Cole-Lomas

    Fears grow over Europe’s biggest nuclear power plant amid shelling

    The Zaporizhzhia power plant remains in a precarious position as the war rages on around it.

    Already there have been two close calls too many, where shelling caused fires meaning the reactors were cut off from power supplies.

    Both Ukraine and Russia accuse each other of shelling near the site.

  • Lauren Cole-Lomas

    Putin fanatic declares Ukraine must be ‘de-Ukrainised’

    In a twisted rant, a pro-Putin extremist has claimed Ukraine must be brutally returned to the Russians.

    Igor Mangushev, 36, said in his bloodthirsty rant: “Why can’t there be any reconciliation? 

    “Ukraine must be de-Ukrainised. The Russian lands of Novorossiya must be returned back. 

    “We are not at war with people of blood and flesh. We are at war with an idea — Ukraine as an anti-Russian state.

    “This is the tragedy of Ukrainian soldiers. We don’t care how many we have to kill them.

    “If we were at war with people we could make peace with them.”

    He added: “But we are at war with the idea, so all bearers of an idea must be killed like this guy.”

    With that, he held up the skull of a fallen Ukrainian soldier.

  • Lauren Cole-Lomas

    UK to donate minehunter drones to help clear Ukrainian coastline

    The Ukrainian military will also be taught how to use the state of the art mine hunting vehicles over the next few months.

    According to the Government website, the UK will send undersea six mine hunting drones to clear the Ukrainian coastline.

    It can dive up to 100 metres to detect mines so that the Ukrainian Navy can destroy them.

  • Lauren Cole-Lomas

    Putin is willing to engulf his own country in radiation, chilling map shows

    A chilling radiation map has shown the devastating effects a disaster at Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant could cause.

    A chilling map has revealed that radiation leaks from the nuclear power plant could spread hundreds of miles and affect a total of 13 countries.

    In a map created by the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Institute and shared by Ukrainian BBC journalist Myroslava Petsa, the cloud of radiation from a potential leak at the plant can be seen spreading across Eastern Europe in the space of three days, reaching as far as the Austrian border.

    13 countries could be affected by radiation leaks from Zaporizhzhia, including Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Russia.

  • Lauren Cole-Lomas

    Russia spotted burning natural gas

    The gas would have been sold to Germany, it has been claimed.

    With a surplus of gas after western countries boycott Russian fuel, it appears the nation is burning the extra stocks.

    Satellite images show Russia burning the gas into the air, Dr Jessica McCarty told the BBS: “I’ve never seen an liquefied natural gas plant flare so much.”

  • Lauren Cole-Lomas

    Putin to blame for cost of living crisis, Boris claims

    Outgoing PM Boris Johnson has claimed that Russia’s Putin is to blame for rising bills.

    Writing in the Mail on Sunday he said: “It was Putin’s invasion of Ukraine that spooked the energy markets. It is Putin’s war that is costing British consumers.

    “That is why your energy bill is doubling. I am afraid Putin knows it. He likes it. And he wants us to buckle.”

  • Lauren Cole-Lomas

    Russia and China band together for military exercises

    Reportedly the two ally nations have sent their military to train together.

    The multilateral drills are held in Vostok, with several other Russia friendly nations.

    Chinese analysts told the Global Times that this will be the first time it has sent three of its forces to the Russian training event.

  • Lauren Cole-Lomas

    Second nuclear reactor reconnected to power grid

    Ukraine’s state nuclear company has announced that both reactors are now up and running.

    A nuclear disaster has been avoided, Energoatom, the company that owns Europe’s largest nuclear power plant has announced.

    Two of the site’s reactors had been disconnected from the power grid, which could have very dangerous consequences.

    The first reactor was reconnected on Friday.

  • Lauren Cole-Lomas

    Ukraine’s President Zelensky sacks another key member of staff

    Yaroslav Spodar has been dismissed from his role as the commander of Ukraine’s national guard.

    Ukrinform reported that he had been let go on 26 August.

  • Louis Allwood

    Russia spotted burning natural gas

    The gas would have been sold to Germany, it has been claimed.

    With a surplus of gas after western countries boycott Russian fuel, it appears the nation is burning the extra stocks.

    Satellite images show Russia burning the gas into the air, Dr Jessica McCarty told the BBS: “I’ve never seen an liquefied natural gas plant flare so much.”

  • Louis Allwood

    Zelensky blames Russia as Europe counts cost of gas crisis

    Zelensky accused Russia of economic terrorism on Monday as the cost of Europe's energy crisis spiraled with Germany on the hook for at least 19 billion euros to bail out its biggest importer of Russian gas.

    A surge in gas prices as top exporter Russia cuts supplies has squeezed German utility company Uniper, prompting it to seek an extra 4 billion euros in credit lines from Berlin, on top of a 15 billion euro bailout deal agreed last month.

  • Louis Allwood

    Putin to blame for cost of living crisis, Boris claims

    Outgoing PM Boris Johnson has claimed that Russia’s Putin is to blame for rising bills.

    Writing in the Mail on Sunday he said: “It was Putin’s invasion of Ukraine that spooked the energy markets. It is Putin’s war that is costing British consumers.

    “That is why your energy bill is doubling. I am afraid Putin knows it. He likes it. And he wants us to buckle.”

  • Louis Allwood

    Nuclear plant workers wounded in Ukraine after Russia ‘shells dormitories’

    At least ten workers at Europe's biggest nuclear power plant have been injured after Russia allegedly bombed their dormitories.

    It comes just days before the UN atomic watchdog's visit to the besieged Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine.

    Russian troops reportedly blasted the city of Enerhodar – where most of the plant workers live – shortly after 10pm last night.

    The city's mayor Dmytro Orlov said two residential areas were shelled, injuring at least ten people, according to local reports.

    Orlov wrote on Telegram: "It is known about ten Enerhodar residents received numerous shrapnel wounds of varying degrees of severity as a result of shelling of Enerhodar residential quarters last night.

    "Two of them in a serious condition were hospitalised in the intensive care unit."

  • Louis Allwood

    Russia suffers heavy losses

    According to Ukraine's Ministry of Defence, Russian forces have suffered heavy losses.

    Russia have reportedly lost 350 personnel taking the otal number of losses to 47,100.

  • Louis Allwood

    Holes in roof spotted on building at Europe’s biggest nuclear plant

    Holes have been spotted on a roof at Europe's biggest nuclear plant after the Russians allegedly shelled the area.

    The building inside the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine appears to have suffered recent damage to the roof close to its nuclear reactors.

  • Louis Allwood

    Europe's largest power plant opens its doors

    Russia has finally opened the doors of Europe's largest nuclear power plant complex under the advice of the United Nations.

    The United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency team are currently on their way to pay a visit to the Russian occupied site.

    Russia seized the Zaporizhzhia power plant in the early days of it's invasion of Ukraine.

    The power plant workers are still trapped working inside the plant, and were vital in reconnecting the plant to the power grid after it was cut off.

    Persistent shelling and the concern of the nuclear reactors being cut off from the power supply poses a huge threat to not only Ukraine, by the whole of Europe.

    Rafael Mariano Grossi, sent the important message out today that his team have started their journey to the power plant.

    He Tweeted: "The day has come, @IAEAorg's Support and Assistance Mission to #Zaporizhzhya (ISAMZ) is now on its way.

    "We must protect the safety and security of #Ukraine’s and Europe’s biggest nuclear facility.

    "Proud to lead this mission which will be in #ZNPP later this week."

  • Louis Allwood

    Russian soldiers abandon wounded comrade on stretcher

    Footage shows the moment Vladimir Putin's soldiers come under fire from Ukrainian forces, leaving one of the troops wounded.

    Four soldiers are seen placing the injured man on a stretcher to get him out of the woods for medical help.

    They trudge for some distance through the trees to a dirt track.

    But the heartless troops then dump him on the floor by the side of the road and scuttle back off into the woods.

    In the drone footage, the injured soldier is seen trying to lift his arm as his comrades abandon him.

  • Louis Allwood

    Ukraine says it has begun counter-offensive

    Ukraine announced on Monday the start of a long-awaited counter-offensive to retake territory in the south seized by Russian forces since their invasion six months ago, a move reflecting Kyiv's growing confidence as Western military aid flows in.

    The news came as a team from the UN nuclear watchdog headed to Ukraine to inspect the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant – captured by Russian forces in March but still run by Ukrainian staff – that has become a hotspot in the war.

  • Louis Allwood

    Sick Putin fan holds the skull of ‘dead Ukrainian fighter’ on stage

    Igor Mangushev, 36, is said to be the leader of a pro-Russian political movement.

    The skull supposedly belonged to a slain fighter killed near the Azovstal steel plant in Ukraine. 

    During a speech, deranged Mangushev held up the skull and said: “We’re alive and this guy is already dead.

    “Let him burn in hell. He wasn’t lucky. We’ll make a goblet out of his skull.”

  • Lauren Cole-Lomas

    Russia spotted burning natural gas

    The gas would have been sold to Germany, it has been claimed.

    With a surplus of gas after western countries boycott Russian fuel, it appears the nation is burning the extra stocks.

    Satellite images show Russia burning the gas into the air, Dr Jessica McCarty told the BBS: “I’ve never seen an liquefied natural gas plant flare so much.”

  • Lauren Cole-Lomas

    Ukraine updates: Kharkiv hit with cluster bombs today

    Reportedly the country's second largest city has been attacked today by Russia, that used cluster munitions to cause destrucion.

    Homes have been ruined, and a school destroyed.

    No injuries have been reported yet.

  • Lauren Cole-Lomas

    Ukraine's President Zelensky sacks another key member of staff

    Yaroslav Spodar has been dismissed from his role as the commander of Ukraine's national guard.

    Ukrinform reported that he had been let go on 26 August.

  • Lauren Cole-Lomas

    Six more grain ships depart Odesa

    A further six vessels filled with grain have left Ukraine this weekend.

    Since August 1, around 30 ships have departed from the Ukrainian port.

    This comes after a deal was agreed upon by the UN, Turkey, Ukraine and Russia.

  • Lauren Cole-Lomas

    UK to donate minehunter drones to help clear Ukrainian coastline

    The Ukrainian military will also be taught how to use the state of the art mine hunting vehicles over the next few months.

    According to the Government website, the UK will send undersea six mine hunting drones to clear the Ukrainian coastline.

    It can dive up to 100 metres to detect mines so that the Ukrainian Navy can destroy them.

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