Ukraine denies Russia has captured Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant

Kiev — Ukraine's state energy company Energoatom has described claims by Russia that its troops have taken control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant as fake news.

A statement said: "Currently, all four nuclear power plants are under the control of Ukraine and are operating normally. Energoatom is taking all necessary measures to protect the nuclear power plants."

The plant in Zaporizhzhia, southern Ukraine, is Europe's largest nuclear power station. The Russian Defence Ministry said on Monday that it had been captured.

Previously, Russian troops had taken control of the exclusion zone around the Chernobyl reactor north of Kiev. Radioactive contaminated soil was stirred up in the process, which led to slightly higher radiation readings at the site.

©2022 dpa GmbH. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.