IAEA calls for ‘security’ zone at nuclear plant

The International Atomic Energy Agency yesterday called for the establishment of a security zone around Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, occupied by Russia and the site of fighting in recent weeks.

"The current situation is untenable," the UN atomic watchdog said in a statement after it sent a team to the plant last week, calling for "the immediate establishment of a nuclear safety and security protection zone".

The IAEA statement came after blasts rang out and power was cut in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian city housing the power plant. IAEA chief Rafael Grossi was expected to brief the UN Security Council in New York on his findings later yesterday.

Both warring countries accuse each other of risking a nuclear disaster by shelling the plant, which invading Russian forces seized early in the conflict but which is still operated by Ukrainian technicians.

"In the face of challenges, our national military has calmly responded to the enemy's intents at intrusion…I believe that after this period of combat readiness missions, our national military's combat skills are more mature and its combat power is more powerful."

— -- Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen says after Chinese troops' recent drills

Dmytro Orlov, the Ukrainian mayor of the surrounding city of Enerhodar who operates from outside Russian-held territory, said on social media that a powerful explosion had rung out shortly after noon. Residents were left without power or water.

Moscow repeated its longstanding accusations that Ukrainian forces had been shelling the plant.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday warned of a near "radiation catastrophe" at the plant and said Russia's shelling of it showed Moscow "does not care what the IAEA will say".

He was speaking after IAEA officials, citing information supplied by Ukraine, said the sole remaining reactor had gone offline after the plant's backup power line had been cut to extinguish a fire, reports Reuters.

Meanwhile, Russia continued to bombard Ukrainian cities elsewhere. Rescue workers found the body of a woman beneath the rubble of an apartment building in Kharkiv after overnight shelling of Ukraine's second-biggest city, mayor Ihor Terekhov said. The governor said two others were also killed in the province.

An adviser to Zelensky's chief of staff said he expected Kyiv to announce "great news" about its counteroffensive in the eastern Kharkiv region yesterday evening.

The New York Times reported that US intelligence had assessed that Russia was buying artillery ammunition from North Korea as sanctions begin to reduce its ability to sustain its operations in Ukraine. There was no immediate reaction to that from Moscow.

Russian President Vladimir Putin was meanwhile shown with his defence minister as he inspected a big military exercise in Russia's Far East.

The drills, involving several of Russia's neighbours, as well as Syria, India and key ally China, started on September 1 and are due to end today.