UN demands end to military activity at Ukraine nuke plant

The U.N. nuclear chief warned Thursday that "very alarming" military activity at Europe's largest nuclear plant in southeastern Ukraine could lead to dangerous consequences for the region and called for an end to attacks at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia facility.

Rafael Grossi urged Russia and Ukraine, who blame each other for the attacks at the plant, to immediately allow nuclear experts to assess damage and evaluate safety and security at the sprawling nuclear complex where the situation "has been deteriorating very rapidly."

He pointed to shelling and several explosions at Zaporizhzhia last Friday that forced the shutdown of the electrical power transformer and two backup transformers, forcing the shutdown of one nuclear reactor.

Last week, Grossi said in an Associated Press interview that the situation at Zaporizhzhia was "completely out of control."

On Thursday, he demanded a halt to military actions "that have even the smallest potential to jeopardize nuclear safety" at such an important installation. While a preliminary assessment by experts found "no immediate threat to nuclear safety" at the plant from the shelling and military actions, "this could change at any moment," he warned.

Grossi's appeal echoed U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' call earlier Thursday for an end to all military activity around the Zaporizhzhia plant, warning that any damage could lead to "catastrophic consequences" in the vicinity, the region and beyond.

Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, gave a virtual briefing to the U.N. Security Council at a meeting called by Russia to discuss what Moscow claims were Ukrainian attacks on the plant.

While the plant is controlled by Russia, its...