Risk of radioactive leak at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, operator says

Ukrainian energy operator Energoatom says periodic shelling has damaged power station's infrastructure

Smoke rises from fires at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine on August 24. Planet Labs PBC via AP

Ukrainian energy operator Energoatom has said there is a risk of “hydrogen leakage and sputtering of radioactive substances” at Europe’s largest nuclear power plant.

The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is currently occupied by Russian troops.

"As a result of periodic shelling, the infrastructure of the station has been damaged, there are risks of hydrogen leakage and sputtering of radioactive substances, and the fire hazard is high," Energoatom said on Telegram.

Earlier this week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the situation at the plant was risky.

Its reactors were disconnected from the plant for the first time in history on Thursday, following shelling in the area.

Both of the plant's two functioning reactors were subsequently reconnected to the grid.

“Let me stress that the situation remains very risky and dangerous,” Mr Zelenskyy said in his regular evening address, praising Ukrainian experts working to “avert the worst-case scenario”.

“Any repeat of yesterday's events, meaning any disconnection of the station from the grid, any action by Russia that could provoke the disconnection of reactors, would once again place the station one step away from a catastrophe,” he said.

Russia, which invaded Ukraine in February, took control of the nuclear plant in March, although it is still operated by Ukrainian technicians working for Energoatom.