Ukraine strikes nuclear plant again, says Russia; Kyiv denies the attack

Russia said on Tuesday that Ukraine attacked the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant for a third day with a drone but Ukrainian military intelligence denied that Kyiv had anything to do with the attacks.
 

Ukraine has denied it is behind a series of drone attacks on the plant over the past three days, including three drone attacks on Sunday, which the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said had endangered nuclear safety.
 

"The unique training center of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant was attacked," the Russian-controlled plant said in a statement.
 

The drone fell on the roof of the training centre, it said.
 

No one was injured.
 

The Kremlin has said the drone attacks on the nuclear plant were carried out by Ukraine and said they were very dangerous with extremely grave potential consequences.
 

Ukrainian military intelligence said Kyiv does not take part in action against nuclear facilities.
 

"Ukraine's position is clear and unequivocal'' we do not commit any military actions or provocations on nuclear facilities," Andriy Yusov, a spokesperson for Ukraine's military intelligence, said on national TV.

RIA state news agency said the drone attack on the training centre happened just 10 minutes after representatives of the International Atomic Energy Agency mission passed by.
 

An extraordinary meeting of the U.N. nuclear watchdog's 35-nation Board of Governors called by Russia to discuss attacks on the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine is due to be held on Thursday, four diplomats said.

UN nuclear watchdog sets emergency meeting

The UN nuclear watchdog's 35-nation Board of Governors will hold an emergency meeting on Thursday at Ukraine and Russia's request to discuss attacks on the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, the notification to member states seen by Reuters said.
 

Drones attacked the Russian-held facility in southern Ukraine, Europe's biggest nuclear power plant, on Sunday, hitting one reactor building, the International Atomic Energy Agency has said, adding that nuclear safety was unaffected.
 

Russia and Ukraine have repeatedly accused one another of targeting Zaporizhzhia; both sides deny doing so.
 

In a confidential note to member states on Tuesday, the Board's chairperson said Ukraine and Russia had written to him on Monday requesting an extraordinary meeting.
 

"I hereby notify the Members of the Board that a meeting of the Board has been arranged as follows: 3 p.m. (1300 GMT) on Thursday, 11 April 2024," the note said, hours after diplomats had told Reuters the meeting was due to be held that day.
 

The meeting is unlikely to bring clarity as to who was behind recent attacks. The Board has passed four resolutions since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 condemning Russian actions against Ukrainian nuclear facilities. The most recent was last month, calling on Russia to withdraw from Zaporizhzhia.

Only China has joined Russia in opposing those resolutions. Diplomats said they had not heard of a push for a resolution on Thursday, which would be more difficult at such short notice.

The International Atomic Energy Agency has not assigned blame for the attacks but demanded that they stop.
 

"Such reckless attacks significantly increase the risk of a major nuclear accident and must cease immediately," IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said after Sunday's drone strikes.
 

The Russian and Ukrainian letters were attached to the chairperson's note.
 

Russia said it wanted a meeting on "the recent attacks and provocations of the armed forces of Ukraine" against Zaporizhzhia. The Ukrainian statement said Kyiv wanted to discuss "the situation in Ukraine and the safety, security and safeguards implications".
 

The meeting's agenda, also attached, had only one item: "matters referred to" in the letters.
 

The rules of the Board, the Vienna-based IAEA's top decision-making body that meets several times a year, state that any country on it can call a meeting. Both Russia and Ukraine are on the Board this year.