Ukraine and Russia blame each other for threat to nuclear plant

Concerns have risen about the risk of a possible radiation leak from Europe's largest nuclear power plant following claims and counterclaims from Ukraine and Russia. Ukrainian officials claimed on Saturday that Russian forces launched missiles and artillery strikes across the Dnieper River near Europe's largest Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in occupied parts of Ukraine. At the same time, Russia claims that the shells fired by Ukraine have fallen on the building in which nuclear fuel is kept.

Officials on Friday started distributing iodine tablets among people living near the nuclear plant to protect them in case of radiation exposure. The biggest concern is the cooling system of nuclear plant reactors, which require electricity to keep them running. Officials said the plant was temporarily closed on Thursday due to the damage caused to the transmission line by the fire.

Experts believe that due to the shutdown of the cooling system, the accident could have happened due to the nuclear reactor overheating. The Russian military captured the nuclear plant at the beginning of a six-month-long war and is being operated by Ukrainian personnel. Both sides have been accusing each other of shelling the plant, which has created a possibility of destruction in the area. Ukraine's nuclear power operator Energotum said on Saturday that intermittent shelling had damaged the power station's infrastructure.