ZURICH: The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) raised grave concerns on Saturday about the shelling the previous day at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine, saying the action showed the risk of a nuclear disaster.
Both sides accused each other on Saturday of engaging in 鈥渘uclear terrorism.鈥� Ukraine鈥檚 state nuclear power company Energoatom blamed Russia for the damage while Russia鈥檚 defense ministry accused Ukrainian forces of shelling the plant.
鈥淚鈥檓 extremely concerned by the shelling yesterday at Europe鈥檚 largest nuclear power plant, which underlines the very real risk of a nuclear disaster,鈥� IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said in a statement.
Grossi, who leads the United Nation鈥檚 nuclear watchdog, urged all sides in the Ukraine conflict to exercise the 鈥渦tmost restraint鈥� around the plant.
Shells hit a high-voltage power line on Friday at the facility, prompting its operators to disconnect a reactor despite no radioactive leak being detected. The plant was captured by Russian forces in early March in the opening stage of the war but it is still run by its Ukrainian technicians.
Energoatom said Russia wanted to disconnect the station from the Ukrainian electricity system and cause blackouts in the south of the country. Moscow鈥檚 forces, it said, had placed weapons and explosives in two of the power-generating units and mined the shoreline outside the plant.
鈥淚t is highly probable that all of this will cause a nuclear and radiation disaster,鈥� it said in a statement on Saturday.
Russia鈥檚 defense ministry said damage to the plant had only been avoided thanks to the 鈥渟kilful, competent and effective actions鈥� of its units.
Grossi said that military action jeopardizing the safety and security of the Zaporizhzhia plant 鈥渋s completely unacceptable and must be avoided at all costs.鈥�