Russia says goal of Zaporizhzhia nuclear safety zone is to 'stop Ukraine shelling'

The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that the main goal of a proposed safety zone around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine was to "stop Ukraine shelling".

Both Moscow and Kyiv have accused each other of shelling the plant, Europe's biggest nuclear power station, risking causing a nuclear accident.

The plant has come under repeated shelling since Russia seized it shortly after launching its invasion in February, prompting the IAEA nuclear safety watchdog to call for a demilitarised safety zone around the plant.