The final functioning reactor at Europe’s largest nuclear plant has been shut down amid fierce combating and catastrophic floods in Ukraine.

It was stopped as a security measure after final week’s assault on the Nova Kakhovka dam.

The construction’s collapse despatched a cascade of water downstream, wiping out cities and villages.

Five out of six reactors at Zaporizhzhia – occupied by Russian forces however staffed by native staff – had been already in a state of chilly shutdown.

Ukraine’s nuclear company Energoatom mentioned the potential of there not being sufficient water to chill the remaining reactor following the dam’s destruction meant it was compelled to observe go well with.

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The course of includes management rods being inserted into the reactor core to cease the nuclear fission response and era of warmth and stress.

The news emerged because the UK donated an extra £16million in humanitarian support to assist the 42,000 individuals instantly affected by the dam breach, which is being blamed on Moscow.

Hundreds of Ukrainians have been rescued from rooftops within the days following the deliberate breaching of the Kakhovka dam, which flooded villages, fields and roads within the Kherson area.

Last evening, the Foreign Office confirmed the money will likely be given to organisations on the bottom. The Red Cross will get £10million, £5million goes to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and £1million to the International Organisation for Migration.

The cash is on prime of £220million already donated to Ukraine for humanitarian reduction.

Two specialist rescue boats with search and rescue tools and trauma drugs have already been despatched to Kherson.

An extra two boats, neighborhood water filters, pumps and waders had been being dispatched this weekend. In complete the UK has donated greater than £1.5billion to Ukraine in financial and humanitarian help, which has paid for the supply of greater than 11 million medical objects in addition to meals provides, ambulances and shelter kits.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly mentioned: “Flooding from the destruction of Kakhovka dam is having an untold impact.

“Our funding is playing a vital role in helping services and aid organisations evacuate people and get help to those in need.”

It comes as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a shock go to to Kyiv yesterday.

He was met by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier than visiting the Wall of Remembrance to pay tribute to troopers killed since Russia’s invasion started in February final yr. Meanwhile, Ukrainian troops have damaged by way of Russia’s first line of defence in a number of areas, 48 hours after launching their long-awaited counter-offensive.

Kyiv’s forces have “likely made good progress” however Ministry of Defence analysts say troops could also be struggling in some areas.

An MoD briefing added Russia’s efficiency has been combined, saying: “Some units are likely conducting credible manoeuvre defence operations while others have pulled back in some disorder, amid increased reports of casualties as they withdraw through their minefields.”

Yesterday, Mr Zelensky mentioned “counter-offensive and defensive actions are taking place”, in his strongest suggestion but that Ukraine’s long-awaited fightback had begun.

But he refused to be drawn on what stage it was at or the place it was going down.

However, a navy spokesman did verify yesterday heavy combating in Donetsk, and mentioned forces had gained extra floor close to the town of Bakhmut.

UK consultants pointed to pictures of destroyed Leopard tanks to again up assertions that the counter-offensive had began.

Justin Crump, of strategic danger group Sibylline, mentioned: “It’s clear Ukraine is now fully shifted to offensive operations. What is less clear is the level of success.

“While Russian voices are loud in the infosphere, Ukraine is pressing a code of silence.

“This means the picture is skewed, with a comparatively limited number of factual images being widely shared to portray ‘annihilation’ of Kyiv’s attacks.”

It was too quickly to present any significance to the lack of a small variety of Leopard 2 tanks and Bradley combating automobiles, he mentioned.

One picture confirmed a German tank deserted in Zaporizhzhia after it had been broken, whereas one other confirmed a Leopard being destroyed by a Russian missile.

“It isn’t surprising to have incurred losses like these against heavily defended positions,” mentioned ex-tank commander Mr Crump.