Ukrainian nuclear power plants face shelling again as Kyiv warns of Russia's 'scorched earth'

Russia and Ukraine say both sides are shelling Europe's largest nuclear power plantin southern Ukraine. blaming.

Russia claimed on Monday that Ukrainian artillery fire caused power surges and fires, forcing staff to cut power at two reactors, but Ukraine said the Russian military was there. accused of storing weapons in

Nuclear experts warn that further shelling of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant occupied by Russia early in the war is fraught with danger. The Kremlin repeated its statement on Monday, arguing that the Ukrainian shelling could have "devastating" consequences for Europe.

Ukrainian military intelligence spokesman Andriy Yusov countered that Russian forces had planted explosives in factories to deter an expected Ukrainian counterattack in the region.

Ukrainian officials have previously said Russia launched the attack from the factory, using Ukrainian workers as human shields.

Rafael Grossi, Executive Director of the International Atomic Energy Agency, described how the factory was operated under the Russian military and the ongoing fighting around it caused serious health problems.

However, a nuclear materials expert at Imperial College London said the Zaporizhia reactor was modern, heavily reinforced with steel designed to protect against disaster. He said he was housed in a concrete building.

"So even if the containment building were accidentally hit by an explosive shell, I don't think it would be very likely that the containment building would collapse. I think it's even less likely to be damaged by stuff," said Mark Wenman at the University's Nuclear Energy Futures.

He also said the spent fuel tanks reportedly hit by the shells were robust and probably did not contain much spent fuel.

"While this may sound alarming, fighting at nuclear facilities is illegal under international law, The release of serious nuclear weapons is still low," he said.

READ MORE: Russia's capture of Europe's largest nuclear power plant in Ukraine raises global alarm

A nuclear power plant also caught fire last week, before Sunday's shelling.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Lieutenant General Igor Konashenkov said on Monday that the Ukrainian attack on Sunday caused a power surge, causing smoke at a switch facility and triggering an emergency shutdown.

Firefighters extinguished the blaze and power plant personnel reduced the output of his Unit 5 and his Unit 6 to 500 megawatts, he said.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov urged Western powers to stop attacking factories in Kyiv.

"The shelling of the territory of the nuclear power plant by the Ukrainian army is very dangerous," Peskov said on a conference call with reporters.

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"A vast area, with devastating consequences across Europe."

But Ukrainian military intelligence spokesman Yusov said the shelling was by Russian forces.

"If not," he added. to the Ukrainian army.

Read More: Major Nuclear Power in Ukraine A Russian attack on a power plant is "unacceptable"

Yusov said similar tactics were used by Russia early in the war when it captured the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine.

"This is the strategy of fear and scorched earth used by the Russians in advance of the inevitable Ukrainian counteroffensive in the south," he said.

Meanwhile, one of his ships, which left Ukraine under an agreement to unblock grain supplies and stem the global food crisis, reached Turkey and reached its destination. became the first ship.

Read more: Three more grain ships leave Ukrainian ports under UN agreement

Turkish-flagged Polarnet, with a cargo of 12,000 tonnes of corn, docked at the port of Delins after departing Chornomorsk on Friday.

"This sends a message of hope to all families in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Ukraine will not abandon you," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleva tweeted. "If Russia honors its obligations, the 'grain corridor' will continue to maintain global food security." emphasized the risks.

"Of course, these were dangerous places and cleared passageways," he said.

On the frontlines of the war, the Kremlin said Monday it would continue its military offensive against Ukraine until Russia achieves its goals, again. claimed.

The Ukrainian president's office said Russian forces had shelled seven her regions of Ukraine in the past 24 hours, killing five people.

Ukrainian forces have attacked Russian-controlled areas in the south and crashed again on a strategic bridge in the southern city of Kherson, local officials said.

READ MORE: US Embassy in Ukraine calls Russian attack on nuclear power plant a 'war crime'

The mayor of Melitopol, a Russian-controlled city in the Ukrainian neighborhood of Zaporizhia, said Ukraine was using US HIMARS rocket launchers to attack several Russian military stations. He said the facility had been bombed.

Kirill Stremsov, the Moscow-appointed deputy head of the Kherson Regional Administration, said Ukrainian artillery fire had again damaged the Antonivsky Bridge over the Dnieper. The bridge, an artery for Russian military supplies, has been closed in recent weeks due to earlier shelling, and plans to reopen on Wednesday are currently shelved. The Ukrainian president's office said it continued to shell Nikopol, across the Dnieper from the power station.

Nikopol's gas pipelines, plumbing and power lines are no longer working, leaving thousands without access to electricity.

Currently, a total of 12 ships are authorized to operate under the grain agreement between Ukraine and Russia brokered by Turkey and the United Nations.

About 322,000 tons of agricultural products left Ukrainian ports, mostly maize, but also sunflower oil and soybeans.

Her four ships, which left Ukraine on Sunday, docked near Istanbul on Monday night and were inspected on Tuesday, carrying only food items and carrying weapons. I am planning to make sure it is not.

But her Razoni, the Sierra Leonean flag, the first freighter to leave Ukraine, left Odessa on 1 August in trouble. She was heading to Lebanon with 26,000 tonnes of corn to feed her chickens, but there were no plans to dock in Lebanon after a business deal, the Tripoli portmaster said.

The Ukrainian embassy in Beirut said on Monday that the last buyer of Lebanese corn had lost its cargo due to delivery delays. I declined the delivery and the shipper was looking for another customer.

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