Satellite images show the damage under construction at a nuclear plant in Ukraine

• New satellite images show damage to the roof of a building at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant.
• Located in southern Ukraine, Europe’s largest, Russia has held it for months.
• The recent war has also prompted watchdog agencies to express concern.

Satellite images released on Monday show the fire at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine and the damage to a building used as a shield by Russian troops.

An image captured by Maxar Technologies and obtained by Insider shows a building on the power plant with several holes in its roof, which has been damaged by fire and explosions from the ongoing fighting and gunfire in the area. Some of the pits appear to have darkened skin markings, but it is not known exactly why.

Russian forces have taken control of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe, since early March. Since then, international watchdogs have regularly expressed concern that any clashes near the plant could pose a major threat.

In recent weeks, clashes and shelling around the factory have damaged the facility and cut off the local power grid. Ukraine’s state energy operator blamed last week’s outage – the first in its decades-long history – on Russia. An earlier strike in August caused a partial power shutdown at the plant.

The British Ministry of Defense and others have said in intelligence reports that Russian forces appear to be using the plant’s defenses as a shield, and Ukraine has refused to attack because it does not want to risk a nuclear threat. Nuclear watchdogs, on the other hand, are sounding the alarm that the safety and security of the plant must be maintained.

Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency he said. “The day has come” for a mission to travel to the nuclear site on Monday, verify stability and inspect it, he said, adding that the mission would arrive later this week.

Below are some other images of the Zaporizhia plant that Makser took on Monday, showing armored personnel carriers and nearby fires.