46m ago 15:21

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is “gravely concerned” about the “safety and security of [Ukraine’s] nuclear facilities”, the group’s director general said.

Rafael Mariano Grossi said “the need to prevent a nuclear accident becomes more pressing with each day that passes”, in a statement urging authorities to allow IAEA experts and equipments to evaluate Ukraine’s nuclear reactors.

Russia took control of the abandoned Chernobyl power plant in February, and on Tuesday Ukraine warned that the Russian control was hampering efforts to control forest fires within the Chernobyl exclusion zone.

Ukraine has 15 nuclear reactors, several of which are now under Russian control, and Grossi said IAEA is hoping to send in experts to “ensure the safety and security of its nuclear facilities and prevent the risk of a severe accident that could threaten both people and the environment”.