Russia abducts Ukraine nuclear plant chief

Kyiv: Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant's director general Ihor Murashov was detained by Russia. The plant is in a Russian-occupied region of the country.

Energoatom, the Ukrainian state enterprise operating all four nuclear power stations in the country, on Saturday issued a statement that the chief was caught on his way from the plant to the town of Enerhodar around 4 pm on Friday.

Petro Kotin of Energoatom said in an official statement on Telegram that the chief's car was stopped and he was forcibly detained and blindfolded. He was then taken in an unknown direction. There is no information on his whereabouts and safety.

He added that Murashov holds the main and exclusive responsibility for the nuclear and radiation safety of the plant. His abduction poses a danger to the operation of Europe's largest nuclear power plant.

Kotin said: "I demand that the Russian military who control the Zaporizhia NPP and Rosatom employees who illegally stay at our nuclear facility stop the acts of nuclear terrorism against ZNPP's management and staff, immediately release the head of the station and return him to the performance of his duties to maintain the safe operation of the Zaporizhzhia NPP."

He also sought help from IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi and WANO Chairman Tom Mitchell to take all possible measures to ensure the safe return of Murashov.

The Zaporizhzhia plant has been a focus of Russia's seven-month-long ongoing invasion of Ukraine. The international community has been worried about a nuclear disaster triggered by shelling near the facility. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly called to demilitarise the area around the plant.