Russian troops that took control of Europe's largest nuclear power plant are laying down explosives to "blackmail" the entire continent, plant workers warned.
The Zaporizhzhia plant, located in southeastern Ukraine, was shelled by Russian forces early Friday, sparking a fire as they pressed their attack. The fire eventually was extinguished.
"They will be trying to mine the nuclear power plant and blackmail the whole of Europe," Zaporizhzhia employees wrote in a message to Ukrainian media and government authorities.
Fox News reported the message, which was translated by Misha Gannytskyi, director general of the Ukrainian Independent Information Agency of News.
The workers warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin's forces were "putting explosive materials near the buildings of the nuclear plant to provide pressure on the Ukrainian army, people."
Another message said the nuclear power plant had been attacked by Chechnyan soldiers known as the Kadyrovtsy.
"Kadyrovtsy attacked the power plant," the message read, Fox News reported. "Currently there is a battle between them and the National Guard of Ukraine. This is Kadyrovtsy group for sure."
Gannytskyi told Fox News that Ukrainian officials feared that the Russians "can use this fact that they control the nuclear power plant to organize pressure on Ukraine; they can use that station like a big hostage."
The Zaporizhzhia power plant, which has six reactors and supplies a quarter of the country's electricity, is the largest facility of its kind in Europe and one of the world's biggest.
"We can say that Putin already launched the nuclear war," Gannytskyi told Fox News. "We here in Ukraine are curious: What else Putin need to do before Western countries will be ready to protect our sky?"
Russian authorities claimed that Ukrainians had attacked the plant.
"The biggest nuclear power plant in Europe is on fire right now," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. "For the first time ever in our history, in the history of humankind, the terrorist country has reverted to nuclear terror. Russian propaganda had warned in the past to cover the world in nuclear ash. Now this isn't just a warning; this is real."
Ukraine's State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate reported that the fire had been extinguished as of 6:20 a.m. local time.
"[Zaporizhzhia] power units remain intact, unit 1 reactor compartment auxiliary buildings have been damaged, which does not affect the safety of the unit," the agency said. "The systems and components important to the safety of the NPP are operational. At present, no changes in the radiation situation have been registered."
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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