Explosions in Zaporizhzhia shelling occupied nuclear site in Ukraine
The head of the UN nuclear watchdog, Rafael Grossi, made an urgent appeal to stop the fighting at the Zaporizhzhia plant, in Europe'smost significant.
"Whoever is behind this, it must stop immediately," he said. "You're playing with fire!"
The plant stands on the River Dnipro, on the front line in the war.
Russia's military accused Ukrainian forces on the other side of the river of shelling the area under its control. There was no immediate word from the Ukrainians, who had previously suggested Russian forces attack the area themselves despite having their troops there.
The area around the plant, including the nearby Russian-occupied town of Enerhodar, had been under regular attack for months. Still, there had been a period of calm before the new explosions this weekend, which continued into Sunday morning.
Monitors from Mr Grossi's organisation, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), witnessed explosions from their windows.
Citing information provided by officials at the Russian-controlled plant, the IAEA team said there had been damage to some buildings, systems and equipment at the site, but nothing so far "critical for nuclear safety and security". There were no reports of casualties.
"The news from our team yesterday and this morning aralarming," Mr Grossi said. "Explosions occurred at the site of this major nuclear power plant, which is completely unacceptable."
He called once again for the two warring sides to agree and implement a nuclear safety and security zone around the plant as soon as possible.
"I'm not giving up until this zone has become a reality," he said. "As the ongoing apparent shelling demonstrates, it is needed more than ever."
Russian state media quoted an official from Russian nuclear power operator Rosenergoatom saying 15 shells had been fired at the plant's facilities, landing near a dry atomic waste storage facility and a building that houses fresh spent nuclear fuel, but no radioactive emissions had been detected.
The plant was overrun by Russian forces a few weeks after Moscow invaded Ukraine on 24 February.
Russia annexed the Zaporizhzhia region and another Ukrainian territory in September but has been pushed back on the battlefield in the south, notably in the Kherson region, and the two armies face each other across the River Dnipro (known as the Dnepr in Russian).
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