UN atomic chief slams 'unacceptable' killing at Ukraine power plant

The United Nations atomic agency's head on denounced the killing of the chief engineer of Ukraine's Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in a drone strike, which no one has claimed.

Russia blamed Ukraine for this death, but Kyiv described the accusations as "baseless" and said Moscow has failed to provide evidence.

The head of Russian nuclear giant Rosatom, Alexei Likhachev said on Wednesday that Aleksandr Yakovlev died when "a drone belonging to the Ukrainian armed forces" hit a service vehicle near the flashpoint power station.

International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi "condemns the reported incident which he says represents an unacceptable attack on the plant and its management, seriously threatening nuclear safety", the watchdog posted late on Wednesday on X.

"The IAEA calls for an immediate end to all attacks on or near nuclear sites and their staff," it added.

Russia's foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova had urged the agency to condemn the alleged "murder".

Likhachev said in a post on Rosatom's Telegram account that Yakovlev "devoted his entire life to nuclear energy and he died, in effect, at his combat post".

A driver was also killed in the attack, he said.

The Telegram accounts of the plant and Rosatom have never previously mentioned Yakovlev.

Normally, the plant's Moscow-appointed director Yuri Chernichuk, a former chief engineer at the plant, speaks publicly.

Ukraine's foreign ministry rejected the claims.

"No independent confirmation of the Russian version or evidence of Ukraine's involvement has been presented, and information from Russian occupation structures cannot be considered reliable," it wrote.

Russian troops captured the Zaporizhzhia plant in March 2022, shortly after Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The plant is the largest in Europe and its safety has been a recurring source of concern throughout the long-running conflict.

Both sides regularly accuse the other of carrying out strikes on the site, which is located in Enerhodar, on the banks of the Dnipro river, which marks the frontline in the area.