Russian engineers have arrived to measure radiation at a Ukrainian nuclear plant, the seizure of which during Moscow's invasion of the country sparked international alarm, officials said.

Russia occupied Zaporizhzhia, Europe's biggest atomic power plant, after its forces attacked it on March 4.

Its reactors appeared undamaged after the assault despite a fire that broke out there after tanks bombarded it.

Officials from Russia's nuclear firm Rosatom arrived at the site on Friday, the Ukrainian nuclear agency Energoatom said in a message on Telegram.

The Russians told Ukrainian personnel they were there "to evaluate the radiation level" and "help to repair the plant" which was hit by shells, Energoatom said.

At the time of the attack, Moscow's UN ambassador denied that Russia had shelled the plant.

The Ukrainian agency said that the Russians had come directly to the site because Ukrainian personnel had refused to collaborate with them.

It said one of the Russians who arrived at the plant had introduced himself as the new civil and military administrator of the area and declared the plant part of Russian territory, to be run by Rosatom.

In a separate statement, Rosatom confirmed the dispatch of Russian specialists, but said the operation of Zaporizhzhia, like Russian-occupied Chernobyl, would be undertaken by Ukrainian staff.

The Russian specialists would be there to "advise" the Ukrainian teams, the statement added.

Advice would be given on "the restoration of power at the Chernobyl facility and the physical protection system at the Zaporizhzhia power station", the Russian nuclear operator said.

"Operations to guarantee the safety of operations at Ukrainian nuclear facilities would be undertaken in contact with the IAEA."

With six reactors, Zaporizhzhia can power up to four million homes and produces about a fifth of Ukraine's electricity. It opened in 1985.

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Russia, Ukraine 'ready to work' with UN nuclear watchdog
Vienna (AFP) March 10, 2022
Moscow and Kyiv are "ready to work" with the UN atomic watchdog to ensure nuclear safety, its head said Thursday, as Ukraine has lost "all communications" with the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has expressed concern about nuclear safety and security after Russian forces took over Europe's largest power plant in Ukraine, as well as Chernobyl, the site of the world's worst nuclear accident. Seeking to address this, IAEA director general Rafael Grossi ... read more