US Stock Futures Under Pressure Amid Fire At Ukrainian Nuclear Plant
On Friday, US stock-index futures were falling following reports that Russian shelling had caused a fire at Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, raising fears of a Chernobyl-like disaster.
Ukraine later announced that the fire, which broke out in a training building at the Zaporizhzhia compound, had been extinguished. However, speaking to Reuters, an official said that his organisation no longer had communication with the plant's manager after Russian forces took control.
According to Russia’s defence ministry, the plant is working normally. It blamed the fire on what it is calling a “monstrous attack” by Ukrainian saboteurs.
According to MarketWatch, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures dropped 273 points or 0.8% to 33,462. Meanwhile, S&P 500 futures fell 36 points or 0.8% to 4,323. Nasdaq-100 futures dropped 103 points or 0.7% to 13,926.
While the situation at the nuclear power plant is seemingly averted, Russia’s control over the plant that provides more than one-fifth of Ukraine’s electricity is a huge development after eight days of brutal conflict.
