Ukraine Accuses Russia Of Bombing Nuclear Plant Again

Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, Zaporizhzhia, was hit again Zelensky calls for new sanctions on Russia. Moscow blames Kyiv The head of the Atomic Energy Agency is worried about a possible disaster

KYIV, Aug 7 (Reuters) – Ukraine accused Russia on Sunday of again bombing Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, Zaporizhia, and called for new international sanctions on Moscow for “nuclear terrorism”. Ukraine’s state-run nuclear power company said Russian forces destroyed three radiation sensors at the facility in fresh shelling on Saturday night, injuring a worker with shrapnel. “Russian nuclear terror demands a stronger response from the international community – sanctions on the Russian nuclear industry and nuclear fuel,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky tweeted. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register The factory, in Russian-controlled territory, was also bombed on Friday. Moscow blames Ukrainian forces for the strikes. Ukrainian nuclear company Energoatom said the latest Russian missile attacks hit the plant’s dry storage facility, where 174 containers of spent nuclear fuel were stored in the open. “Consequently, early detection and response in case of deterioration of the radioactivity situation or leakage of radioactivity from spent nuclear fuel containers is not yet possible,” it said. In a statement carried by the Interfax news agency, Russian management of the occupied Enerhodar, where the plant’s employees live, said Ukraine struck using a 220mm Uragan multiple rocket launcher system. “Administrative buildings and the adjacent warehouse area were damaged,” it said The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had said that Friday’s bombing showed the danger of a nuclear disaster. Those shells hit a high-voltage power line, prompting plant operators to shut down a reactor, even though no radioactive leak was detected. read more The Zaporizhzhia factory was seized by Russian forces in early March in the opening stages of the war, but is still operated by Ukrainian technicians. read more Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Report by Natalia Zinets. Written by Tom Balmforth. Editing by Hugh Lawson, Frances Kerry and Andrew Cawthorne Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.