Ukrainians block roads leading to Europe’s largest nuclear power plant

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While nuclear power plants have diesel generators as a backup power supply, they also rely on deliveries of fuel, which can be interrupted during fierce fighting.

Rafael Grossi, the director-general of the IAEA, was said to be “gravely concerned” about military activity near the plant.

He added: “It is the first time a military conflict is happening amidst the facilities of a large, established nuclear programme.”

Russia has seized control of the decommissioned Chernobyl nuclear power plant, the scene of the world’s worst nuclear disaster in 1986. This led to the Ukrainian foreign ministry to warn of the possibility of “another ecological disaster”.

Normal radiation levels in the area increased slightly, apparently due to military activity in the area disturbing the soil.

The IAEA says that it has received a request from Ukraine to “provide immediate assistance in coordinating activities in relation to the safety” of Chernobyl and other sites.

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