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Ukraine Says No Danger From Nuclear Plant Accident


A general view of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant (file photo)
A general view of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant (file photo)

Ukraine's energy minister says an accident at a nuclear power plant in the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhya last week did not involve a nuclear reactor and caused no radiation leakage.

Energy Minister Volodymyr Demchyshyn told reporters in Kyiv on December 3 that the accident on November 28 occurred in the energy transfer system of the plant's No. 3 power-generating unit, not a reactor.

"There is no radiation leakage," he said, and nobody was hurt.

Demchyshyn's statement followed reports that Ukraine had introduced rolling blackouts across the country -- including in Crimea, which Russia annexed in March -- due to shortages in the power grid.

Media reports said the shortages were caused in part by the shutdown of the 1,000-megawatt power generating unit at the Zaporizhzhya plant.

Demchyshyn says it is expected to resume operations by December 5.

Based on reporting by UNIAN and Interfax

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