Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant.

Russia-held Ukraine nuclear plant at severe safety threat: report

Kyiv: Raising a severe threat to safety, a powerplant in Russian-occupied Ukraine witnesses a serious shortage of spare parts. The mentioned powerplant is the largest in Europe, Reuters reported, citing Ukraine military agency's information on Friday.

The Defence Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence said that the situation developed plant is critical in terms of ensuring stability and safety.

The plant, located in the southeastern region of Zaporizhzhia, was taken to control by Russia shortly after it initiated its offensive in Ukraine on February 24. However, the plant is still run by Ukrainian technicians.

The Russian troops have been running the plant, putting week-long rotations of staff. The forces have taken personal belongings, including phones, from these Ukrainian workers from the start itself, the military statement said.

Chornobyl in Ukraine, which was under the Soviet Union then, was the site of the world's worst nuclear accident, which happened in 1986.

On Friday, The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) completed a three-day trip to the Chornobyl plant as part of a security round to ensure safety and expressed its wish to visit the Zaporizhzhia plant, too, the statement said. "The Director-General is now also continuing his efforts to organise an IAEA mission to (the plant) to carry out important nuclear safety, security and safeguards activities at this site in the country's south," the statement read.

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