Kremlin Accuses Kyiv Of Shelling Nuclear Plant

Kyiv, Ukraine, Aug 8 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 9th Aug, 2022 ) :The Kremlin accused Ukrainian forces Monday of firing on Europe's largest nuclear power plant in occupied Ukraine and warned the alleged attacks could have "catastrophic consequences".

Kyiv said Moscow was responsible and called for the area to be demilitarised, adding that two employees had been wounded in recent attacks.

Fighting continued meanwhile along battle lines stretching across eastern Ukraine, and Russia continued its crackdown on dissent at home.

Each side has blamed the other for the escalation in fighting around the nuclear facility in Zaporizhzhia in southeastern Ukraine, which was captured by Russian forces soon after their late February invasion.

Recent fighting at the plant has prompted the UN's nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), to warn of "the very real risk of a nuclear disaster".

Ukraine said the plant should be cleared of Russian military and called for the establishment of an international security and energy team to oversee the site.

"What needs to be done is to remove occupying forces from the station and to create a de-militarised zone on the territory of the station," said Petro Kotin, president of Ukraine's nuclear energy company, Energoatom.

"There should be a peacekeeping mission including experts from the IAEA and other security organisations," he added.

"Their presence and initially giving control to them and then to the Ukrainian side would have solved this problem".