(Reuters) – Officials installed by Russia in Ukraine said on Monday that a Ukrainian missile strike punched a hole in the roof of a fuel depot at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the RIA Novosti news agency reported.
Vladimir Rogov, a member of the Russian-backed administration in the region of Zaporizhzhia, posted a picture on Telegram of what he said was a hole in the roof of a building at the site used to store fuel for the facility’s reactor.
Reuters was unable to verify the battlefield report.
Kyiv and Moscow have both denied targeting Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, while accusing each other of doing so. Both say the situation at the facility threatens the safety of Europe and accuse each other of risking a nuclear disaster.
Following claims of the strike, officials said radiation levels at the plant were normal.
Russian-installed officials in Zaporizhzhia accused Ukraine of “continuously firing” on the plant on Monday. Ukraine used a U.S.-made M777 Howitzer to fire the artillery shell, the TASS news agency reported, citing the local administration.
Reports of the strike come as the United Nations nuclear watchdog said on Monday it was sending a mission to the plant, which is manned by Ukrainian staff but under the control of Russia’s armed forces.
(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by David Clarke)
