U.S. calls Russian attack on Ukraine nuclear power plant a "war crime"

The United States Embassy in Ukraine has said that attacking a nuclear power plant constitutes a war crime. As Russian forces continue their onslaught on key Ukrainian cities, the country's biggest nuclear power plant, Zaporizhzhia, came under attack Friday. A blaze there initially sparked fears of a potential accident, but the fire has since extinguished. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) also said the reactors at the plant are safe and no radioactive material was released.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the Kremlin's efforts to take over a massive nuclear power plant was "terror at an unprecedented level," and again called for NATO to implement a no-fly zone over his country.  Russian military forces have seized the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine's southeast, a local authority said on Friday. "Operational personnel are monitoring the condition of power units," it said on social media, adding that the efforts sought to ensure the operations were in line with safety requirements. Ukraine has said Russian forces attacked the plant in the early hours of Friday, setting an adjacent five-storey training facility on fire.