Ukraine's Blame, Russia Calls PLTN Zaporizhia Shooting Nuclear Accident

PLTN Zaporizhia in Ukraine. (Wikimedia Commons/Ralf1969)

JAKARTA - Russia said the shooting of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (PLTN) was at risk of causing a severe nuclear accident, blaming Ukrainian forces immediately denied by Kyiv.

The Kremlin has asked "all countries in the world" to pressure Kyiv to stop the attack, which Ukraine says is Russia's responsibility.

Repetitive shootings of power plants in southern Ukraine, which flared up again at the weekend, have raised concerns about the potential for serious accidents just 500 km (300 miles) from Chornobyl, the world's worst nuclear disaster site in 1986.

Reuters was unable to independently verify which party was responsible for the shooting that weekend.

"The factory is at risk of a nuclear accident," said Alexei Likhachev, director general of Russia's state nuclear company Rosatom, as quoted by Interfax.

"We are negotiating with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) throughout the night," he said.

The power plant, which is under Russian control, was rocked by intense shootings on Saturday and Sunday, drawing criticism from the UN nuclear watchdog who said such attacks were at risk of major disasters.

Fighting reactors at used nuclear fuel factories or fires can send a lump of radionuclide into the air, potentially spreading to large areas of Europe.

"This cannot turn out to cause us concern," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, referring to the shooting.

"We call on all countries in the world to use their influence, so that the Ukrainian armed forces stop doing this," he exclaimed.

Separately, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said its mission at the plant had reported damage to radioactive waste and storage buildings, cooling pools, power lines to one of the reactors, condensate storage tanks and bridges between other reactors, as well as supporting buildings.

External power chips are unaffected and radiation levels at the plant remain normal, the IAEA continued.

Meanwhile, Russia's Defense Ministry said Ukraine's armed forces fired 11 large-caliber bullets at the plant on Saturday and 12 bullets on Sunday morning, then two more on the power grid.

In contrast, Ukraine's nuclear energy company Energoatom said the Russian military opened fire on the factory. It said there were at least 12 attacks on the facility on Sunday.

It is known, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi has proposed establishing a nuclear safety and security zone around the power plant.

Head Rosatom Likhachev said this was only possible if it was approved by the United States.

"I think the long distance between Washington and Zaporizhia shouldn't be an excuse for the United States to postpone decisions on the security zone," he was quoted as saying by Interfax.