MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his government on Wednesday to take over operations at Europe’s largest nuclear power station in the Russia-annexed region of Zaporizhzhia, southern Ukraine.

“The government will ensure that the nuclear facilities at the plant... are integrated as federal property,” the executive order said.

The power station has been occupied by Moscow’s forces since March and is close to the front line.

Meanwhile, the UN nuclear agency chief left for Ukraine on Wednesday to discuss creating a security zone around the Zaporizhzhia atomic plant.

“On our way to Kyiv for important meetings,” International Atomic Energy Agency head Rafael Grossi wrote on Twitter, saying the need for a protection zone around the site was “more urgent than ever”.

Published in Dawn, October 6th, 2022