Russian forces have seized the defunct Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant after an hours-long battle with Ukrainian troops, AFP said quoting the Ukraine presidency.
In 1986, the plant which was then part of the Soviet Union became the site of the world's worst nuclear disaster.
Concerns over Chernobyl's safety
Reuters quoted an adviser to the Ukrainian presidential office saying "It is impossible to say the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is safe after a totally pointless attack by the Russians."
Earlier, Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskyy had tweeted: 'Russian occupation forces are trying to seize Chernobyl. Our defenders are giving their lives so that the tragedy of 1986 will not be repeated. This is a declaration of war against the whole of Europe.'
A blast was reported at the nuclear power plant's reactor number four in 1986.
Parts of Chernobyl were shut down immediately after the disaster, and the plant was decommissioned in the subsequent years.
But the risk of radiation leaks from the plant continues to date.
Ukrainian authorities had planned to complete the nuclear waste cleanup at Chernobyl by 2065.
While fewer than 100 deaths were directly linked to the accident in its immediate aftermath, experts have warned that the radiation leak from the plant has long-term health effects on the nearby population.
Russia launches attack on Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Thursday, unleashing air strikes and ordering ground troops across the border in fighting that Ukrainian authorities said left dozens of people dead.
The attack triggered Western warnings of unprecedented sanctions against Russia as NATO, EU and G7 leaders condemned the invasion and vowed to hold Moscow accountable.
Weeks of intense diplomacy failed to deter Putin, who massed over 150,000 troops on Ukraine's borders in what the West said was the biggest military build-up in Europe since World War II.
"I have decided to proceed with a special military operation," Putin said in a televised address before dawn on Thursday.
Shortly afterwards, the first bombardments were heard in Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, and several other cities, according to AFP correspondents.
Russian air strikes hit military installations across the country as ground forces moved in from the north, south and east, forcing many Ukrainians to flee their homes to the sounds of bombing.
Ukrainian president declared martial law and accused Russia of acting like "Nazi Germany" but asked people not to panic and promised victory.
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