Russia, Ukraine accuse each other of shelling around nuclear plant

Moscow and Kyiv traded fresh accusations on Saturday of shelling around the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine, which has been a focus of international concern that fighting in the area could trigger a disaster.

Zaporizhzhia, Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, has been controlled by Russian forces since early March, soon after the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. Ukrainian staff continue to operate it and in recent weeks the two sides have traded blame for shelling near the plant.

Ukraine’s state nuclear company Energoatom energy agency said Russian troops again shelled the grounds of the plant complex in the last 24 hours.

“The damage is currently being ascertained,” Energoatom wrote in a statement on Telegram.

Moscow’s defence ministry accused Ukrainian forces of shelling the plant complex three times in the last 24 hours.

Reuters could not verify the battlefield report.

“A total of 17 shells were fired, four of which hit the roof of Special Building No. 1, where 168 assemblies of US WestingHouse nuclear fuel are stored,” the Russian defence ministry said in a statement.

It said 10 shells exploded near a dry storage facility for spent nuclear fuel and three more near a building that houses fresh nuclear fuel storage. It said the radiation situation at the plant remained normal.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday the situation at Zaporizhzhia remained “very risky” after two of its six reactors were reconnected to the grid following shelling that caused the nuclear plant to be disconnected for the first time in its history.