IAEA board meets over Ukraine nuclear safety concerns

Vienna, Austria: The UN nuclear watchdog s board of governors on Friday discussed nuclear safety in Ukraine, with several countries expressing growin...

Vienna, Austria: The UN nuclear watchdog's board of governors on Friday discussed nuclear safety in Ukraine, with several countries expressing "growing concern" following alleged Russian attacks on the power grid.

Energy supplies to Ukraine's nuclear plants have been affected, prompting fears of a nuclear disaster.

The war in Ukraine "continues to pose the world's biggest threat to nuclear safety", Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said when opening the board meeting.

The extraordinary meeting that lasted four hours was called after 13 countries led by the Netherlands expressed in a letter seen by AFP a "growing concern about the severity and urgency of nuclear safety risks" following a series of attacks.

Ukrainian ambassador Yurii Vitrenko told reporters before the meeting that it was "high time" for the IAEA board to discuss the situation.