The Latest Breaking News from Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant

Russia and the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog on Thursday said they hoped to make progress on creating a safety zone around Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which has come under repeated shelling over the past months.

One of President Vladimir Putin's most powerful Kremlin aides has visited the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in a part of southern Ukraine Russia says it has annexed, a Moscow-installed official in the region said.

Russia's Rosatom state nuclear energy company said on Thursday that talks with International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi about a safe zone around Ukraine's Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant would continue.

Russia said on Tuesday it had not placed any heavy weapons at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine.

Russian president says negotiations to end war likely to be necessary but he is wary following Minsk agreements

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" the facility, while Kyiv said Moscow was storing advanced weapons on the site.

A deal aimed at safeguarding Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is close at hand, the head of the U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency said on Friday.

The International Atomic Energy Agency hopes to reach an agreement with Russia and Ukraine to create a protection zone at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant by the end of the year, the head of the U.N. atomic watchdog was quoted as saying.

Ukraine sacked a top engineer at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant on Thursday, accusing him of collaborating with Russian forces, and urged other Ukrainian staff at the plant to remain loyal to Kyiv.

Russia must withdraw its heavy weapons and military personnel from the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant if the U.N. atomic watchdog's efforts to create a protection zone are to succeed, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Wednesday.

The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant remains under Russian control, the Russia-installed administration of the occupied Enerhodar city said on Monday, after a senior Ukrainian official suggested Russian forces were preparing to leave. "The media are actively spreading fakes that Russia is allegedly planning to withdraw from Enerhodar and leave the…