BREAKING NEWS

Blasts damage windows at Ukraine's Khmelnytskyi nuclear plant; operations unaffected - IAEA

Powerful blasts near the area of Ukraine's Khmelnytskyi nuclear power plant damaged windows at the site overnight, but did not affect the plant's operations or its connection to the grid, the UN nuclear watchdog said on Wednesday.

The explosions temporarily cut power to some off-site radiation monitoring stations, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) added.

"The fact that numerous windows at the site were destroyed shows just how close it was. Next time, we may not be so fortunate,” IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the attack region was likely targeting the area's nuclear power station and this was evidence that tougher sanctions on Russia were needed.

"It is most likely that the target for these drones was the Khmelnitskyi nuclear power station. The shock wave from the explosion shattered windows, including on the nuclear power station's premises," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address.

Zelenskiy said every Russian strike, "especially those daring enough to target nuclear power stations and other critical facilities, serves as an argument that pressure on the terrorist state is insufficient."