Russians killed two workers in Zaporija, Ukrainian officials say

Russian forces controlling the Ukraine nuclear power plant in Zaporisja have killed two employees in the facility and arrested dozens more, the head of the Ukraine Nuclear Energy Agency Petro Cotytin told AFP on Friday.

The Zaporija nuclear power plant, Europe's largest, was seized by Russian troops in March.

These charges come at the time of reports of new grants around six plant reactors, while the international community has voiced concerns about a possible nuclear disaster.

Moscow and Kiev blame each other for escalation of the situation.

Two people have been beaten to death. We don't even know where there are about ten others now, who were taken (from the Russians) and after that we don't have any information on their location”, Kotti said, adding that about 200 people have been arrested.

He described the current situation at the plant as “very difficult”, citing “the staff's” and “staff removal”.

Close to 11,000 people worked in Zaporija before the plant fell under Russian control in March this year, a few days after Moscow began its unprotested invasion of Ukraine.

The International Nuclear Energy Agency reported this week that the latest inspection in Zaporizhja showed that there is an unstable situation in this plant and that urgent “measures must be undertaken” to avoid a nuclear accident.

The agency has warned that lack of staff and the stress that workers face are also at risk of causing problems in the plant's operation.

Two of the 14 UN inspectors are continuing to stay in Zaporija to monitor the security situation.

On September 7th, the International Nuclear Energy Agency said that <x0-gravations have damaged Zaporize lines”, adding that these damages undermine nuclear safety at this plant.