(Tribune News Service) — The Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine reported normal radiation levels following a fire and explosions, according to the global nuclear watchdog.

Thick dark smoke was seen over one of the plant’s cooling towers, the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency said in a statement on its website on Monday. Ukraine and Russia traded blame for the incident.

While there was no risk of elevated radiation levels in the area, any fire on the site posed a risk because it can spread to other parts and compromise safety, the IAEA said. It called for immediate access to the cooling tower to assess any damage.

“These reckless attacks endanger nuclear safety at the plant and increase the risk of a nuclear accident,” IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said. “They must stop now.”

Russia seized the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe, in March 2022, shortly after it launched the full-scale invasion of its neighbor. Since then, the plant has been disconnected from the Ukrainian power grid. The IAEA demanded that Russia return the plant to Ukraine, citing concerns over deteriorating safety.

The fire broke out Sunday evening at the service water supply facility of the plant, Energoatom, which manages Ukraine’s nuclear power stations, said in a statement on Monday. As result, one of the cooling towers, located about one kilometer (0.6 miles) from the power units, caught fire and some technological equipment was damaged, it said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian troops started a fire on the grounds and called for the return of the facility to Kyiv’s control.

Russia, for its part, blamed the incident on a Ukrainian drone attack, according to a statement on the Telegram channel of the country’s mission to the IAEA.

With assistance from Jonathan Tirone.

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