Ukrainian authorities accused Russian troops of detonating ammo at Europe's largest nuclear power plant

• Ukrainian authorities accused Russian troops of detonating ammo at a nuclear power plant.
• The Zaporizhzhia plant, Europe's largest, was the scene of a Russian attack earlier this month.

Ukrainian authorities accused Russian troops on Monday of detonating ammunition at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

In a statement, Ukraine's communications center alleged that Russian forces blew up explosives next to the nuclear plant and that authorities were waiting for a response from the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Ukrainian officials also alleged that Russian forces plan to continue with explosions at the plant, and that staff had fled.

Energoatom, Ukraine's state nuclear energy company, said in a Telegram statement that 11 representatives of Rosatom, Russia's state atomic energy corporation, were at the nuclear plant when the explosions were reported.

"It is obvious that the detonation of ammunition on the site of the station is carried out with their direct participation," Energoatom wrote in the statement. "So it turns out that Rosatom is also involved in this terrorism."

Energoatom added: "All established international rules and requirements for nuclear and radiation safety are violated by this company."

Ukraine's parliament tweeted earlier on Monday that Russia planned "to begin 'disposal' of ammunition right on the site of the station near the ruins of the [Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant] training center."

The nuclear plant, which is Europe's largest, was seized by the Russian military on March 4 after a battle with Ukrainian forces. Civilians had previously tried to deny Russia from accessing the plant by blocking nearby roads.

During the fighting, a fire broke out at the plant, but officials concluded that radiation levels remained stable.

On Saturday, energy officials from Rosatom arrived at the plant to take control of operations.

Meanwhile, Russian forces have closed in on a nuclear plant in Yuzhnoukrainsk, south of Ukraine's capital city Kyiv.

As Russia continues its assault on Ukraine, the IAEA warned last week of an "unprecedented danger" that a nuclear disaster could occur in Ukraine as its nuclear facilities are attacked.

Translations by Oleksandr Vynogradov.