UN nuclear agency warns of grave crisis at Ukraine nuclear plant
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New York: The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Thursday warned the United Nations Security Council that a severe crisis was happening at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine. This was after rampant shelling near the plant, and Moscow and Kyiv traded accusations over the attacks, Agence France-Presse reported.
The head of IAEA, Rafael Grossi, told the council that it was a serious and grave hour and urged the council for permission to conduct a mission to the nuclear facility.
All the Security Council members supported calls for an urgent IAEA mission to Ukraine though there was no consensus on whom to blame for the attack.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky alleged that the shelling incident was Russia's "nuclear blackmail". He called the international community to immediately react and chase the occupiers of Zaporizhzhia out of the facility. He added that safety could be guaranteed only when Russia makes a total withdrawal from the power plant.
Both Moscow and Kyiv said that five rockets hit areas nearby the radioactive material storage location at the plant, Europe's biggest nuclear facility. AFP reports that the five-month-long fight between the two sides is now concentrated near the powerplant in recent days.
Later Ukraine's nuclear agency informed that shelling had damaged radiation sensors of one of the six reactors in the facility. However, Moscow stated that Ukraine struck the plant once again.
The plant is under the control of Russian forces at the moment, while Kyiv accuses Moscow of housing hundreds of soldiers and storing arms there.