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A Russian soldier guards an area of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant.
Photo:
- / dpa
In the Ukrainian city of Enerhodar at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, artillery shells fell again on Sunday.
Russia and Ukraine blame each other for the shelling.
According to the mayor of Enerhodar, the situation around Europe's largest nuclear power plant is becoming increasingly precarious.
The risk of a nuclear catastrophe "is growing every day," Dmytro Orlov said in a phone call to the AFP news agency on Sunday.
The Russian army fired at "the infrastructure that ensures the safe operation of the power plant."
42 countries are now demanding the immediate withdrawal of Russian troops.
"The stationing of Russian military and weapons at the nuclear facility is unacceptable," the statement said.
Russia is violating the safety principles to which all member countries of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have committed.
The United Nations, Russia and Ukraine have so far not been able to agree on the modalities of a nuclear power plant inspection by experts from the IAEA.
According to the demand, control of the nuclear power plant must be handed over to the authorized Ukrainian authorities.
Then experts from the IAEA could carry out their duty of supervision over the work of the Ukrainians.
Russia must withdraw completely from Ukraine and end the "unprovoked or justified war of aggression" against the neighboring country.
The document was signed, among others, by the EU on behalf of all members and the USA, Great Britain, Norway, Australia, Japan and New Zealand.
Kremlin troops have been in control of the Ukrainian Zaporizhia nuclear power plant since March, and it has come under repeated fire in recent days.
After the first attacks on the power plant on August 5, one reactor had to be shut down.
A pumping station and radiation sensors were damaged in attacks on Thursday.
"What is happening is downright nuclear terrorism," Mayor Orlov said.
"It can end unexpectedly at any time." The fire protection rules are repeatedly violated and the situation "continues to heat up."
Selenskyi speaks of "blackmail"
Russian and Ukrainian sources report that one civilian was killed in the recent attacks on Enerhodar.
In the "near future" there may not be enough staff for the proper operation of the Zaporizhia NPP, Orlov said.
He himself fled from Enerhodar to Zaporizhia in April.
The Ukrainian head of state Volodymyr Zelenskyy also made serious allegations against Russia in his daily video address on Saturday.
The Russians used the Zaporizhia NPP for "blackmail" by spreading fear "in an extremely cynical way."
Russian troops "hid" behind the nuclear power plant to shell the Ukrainian-controlled cities of Nikopol and Marhanets.
vet/dpa/AFP