Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant during shelling
Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant during shellingZaporizhzhya NPP via YouTube/via REUTERS

A new round of shelling of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power occurred on Thursday.

Ukraine and Russia have each blamed the other for the latest attack on the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, BBC News reported.

Both countries confirmed there were 10 strikes on the office and fire station of the plant.

UN Secretary General António Guterres described the situation as having the potential to "lead to disaster.”

The UN Security Council blasted the renewed fire on the nuclear power plant, with IAEA chief Rafael Grossi cautioning that it was a “grave hour.”

The United States and China called for IAEA inspectors to be granted access to visit the site but similar demands in the past have been ignored.

In response, the US called for a demilitarized zone to be put in place around the perimeter of the plant.

"Fighting near a nuclear plant is dangerous and irresponsible," a State Department spokesperson said.

Russian officials at the UN dismissed the idea, claiming it would leave the plant open to "provocations" and "terror attacks.”

The nuclear plant and the surrounding area were also shelled last week, with Ukraine and Russia each blaming each other.

Ukraine's nuclear agency Enerhoatom said in a statement on Thursday that "Russian invaders again shelled the Zaporizhzhia plant and territories near the nuclear facility.”

But Russian officials put in charge of the occupied plant released a statement saying the opposite, claiming that Ukraine had carried out the attack using rocket systems and heavy artillery.

(Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)