Russian forces have seized the largest nuclear plant in Europe, Ukrainian authorities say.

It comes hours after a fire broke out at the Zaporizhzhia plant following a Russian attack.

The fire has since been extinguished, and officials say the site is safe.

Western powers have condemned Russia for what they called a "horrific" and "reckless" act.

Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has reportedly been seized by Russian military forces, according to regional authorities.

Here's a line from the International Atomic Energy Agency's director general Rafael Grossi on the Russian attack on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine. We'll have more from the IAEA soon.

Quote Message: Overnight a projectile hit a building within the plant site. The building is not part of the reactors. This caused a localised fire that was extinguished by the local fire brigade. All the safety systems at the plant were not affected. [There was] no release of radioactive material" from Rafael Grossi IAEA

Overnight a projectile hit a building within the plant site. The building is not part of the reactors. This caused a localised fire that was extinguished by the local fire brigade. All the safety systems at the plant were not affected. 

An update written at 7.30am on the State Inspectorate for Nuclear Regulation of Ukraine’s Facebook page reads:

The Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant is captured by the military forces of the Russian Federation.”

However, the inspectorate says employees are continuing to work on the premises, while operational personnel control the safe condition of the power units.

According to the inspectorate units two and three have been disconnected from the network and and nuclear installations are being cooled down

“Changes in the radiation state for the current time have not been recorded,” the update adds.

However, the potential loss of cooling nuclear fuel could lead to “significant radioactive emissions into the environment” and such an event “may outgrow all previous NPP accidents, including the Chernobyl NPP and Fukusima-Daichi NPP” the authority says, adding that any damage to a reservoir of processed nuclear fuel as a result of the shelling could also lead to radioactive discharge.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy appealed to Russians on Friday to stage protests over Russian forces' seizure of the largest nuclear power plant in Europe.