Tag : Zaporizhzhya

Moscow/Kyiv: Fresh fightings were reported from east Ukraine, but the world's attention remained focused on the fate of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant. Fears about the state of the nuclear plant, set uncomfortably on the front lines between Russian and Ukrainian troops, remained high. Both sides have said it is at risk of a nuclear disaster because of the other sides' attacks. Both deny taking action against the facility, and it is not possible to immediately verify information from either side, dpa news agency reported. Russian forces occupying the plant said on Sunday that they had to shoot down an armed drone sent by the Ukrainians. It fell on a safety cover spanning the reactor after it was shot down, according to reports carried in Russian media. The explosives it was carrying were detonated without causing any harm. Independent confirmation of the report was not immediately possible. Russia said the drone was on its way to attack a storage area for spent fuel rods. Several projectiles also hit the nearby city of Enerhodar, with Russia and Ukraine blaming each other for the artillery fire. Vladimir Rogov, of the occupying Russian administration, said seven people were injured and accused Ukraine of trying to prevent a visit by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Enerhodar's Ukrainian mayor Dmytro Orlov, who has fled the area, said it was a provocation and that Russian troops were behind it. Moscow said earlier that attacks in the past day had seen one shell hit near reactor number six, the other at a pumping station that provides cooling. No increase in radiation levels at the plant have been recorded following the recent shelling, authorities in Kiev and Moscow said on Sunday. For weeks, both sides have accuse ...