This is an area that observers of the conflict are watching carefully.
The Zaporijjia power plant, under Russian control since March, could at any time become the scene of a nuclear disaster.
One of the plant's reactors has also been stopped, the Ukrainian atomic energy company announced on Saturday, after strikes for which kyiv and Moscow accuse each other.
The European Union has stepped up to denounce the “irresponsible violation” of security rules by Russia.
“Following the attack on the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, the emergency protection system was triggered on one of the three working reactors, which shut down,” EnergoAtom announced in a message on Telegram.
According to this source, the shelling "seriously damaged" a station containing nitrogen and oxygen and an "auxiliary building".
"There are still risks of leaking hydrogen and radioactive substances, and the risk of fire is also high," she said.
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“The bombardment (…) has caused a serious risk to the safe operation of the plant,” continued EnergoAtom, indicating however that it continues to produce electricity and that Ukrainian personnel continue to work there.
Moscow and kyiv blame each other
Ukrainian authorities on Friday accused Russian forces of carrying out three strikes near one of the reactors south of the plant, although Moscow has controlled this territory since the start of the invasion.
“Any bombing of this site is a shameless crime, an act of terror.
Russia must bear the responsibility for the very fact of creating a threat to a nuclear power plant,” said the Ukrainian president.
The Russian army for its part claims that the Ukrainian forces are behind these strikes, which caused a fire which was extinguished.
On July 21, Russia had already accused Ukrainian forces of having struck with a drone on the territory of this nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe.
kyiv also assures that Moscow is storing heavy weapons and ammunition on the territory of the power plant, which has been occupied since March by Russian forces.
The EU denounces the Russian strategy
For its part, the European Union, through the voice of the head of its diplomacy Josep Borell, condemned "the irresponsible violation" of nuclear security rules by Russia with the military activities carried out around the Ukrainian power plant in Zaporijjia.
“The EU condemns Russia's military activities around the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant.
This is a serious and irresponsible violation of nuclear security rules and another example of Russia's disregard for international standards,” he said in a post on his Twitter account.
The EU condemns Russia's military activities around #Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
This is a serious and irresponsible breach of nuclear safety rules and another example of Russia's disregard for international norms.
@iaeaorg must gain access.
— Josep Borrell Fontelles (@JosepBorrellF) August 6, 2022
In his message, Josep Borrell also calls for inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to be able to inspect the state of Zaporijjia's infrastructure.
IAEA officials have not had access to the plant since the start of the conflict more than five months ago.
When the plant was taken over in March, the Russian military had opened fire on buildings on the site, posing the risk of a major nuclear accident.
In 2021, the plant supplied 20% of Ukraine's annual electricity production and 47% of that produced by the Ukrainian nuclear fleet.
