UN nuclear watchdog seeks safety meeting — at Chernobyl

The goal of the meeting, said Grossi, would be to seek agreements among the combatants to ensure nuclear safety is not compromised again as a result of the military conflict.

Grossi said the two sides still were considering the initiative, which he said would have nothing to do with "political aspects of this crisis."

Chernobyl, covered in a purpose-built concrete sarcophagus after the explosion, and then updated with further protection in recent years, is itself now under Russian military control.

The station that was hit early on Friday, the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, which produces fully a quarter of Ukraine's power, was not damaged and there was no release of radioactive material, Grossi said.

Even so, two security staff were injured in the strike, which caused a fire at a training complex. There would have been a "dramatic situation" had the reactors been hit, Grossi said.

Russia's defence ministry on Friday blamed Ukrainian "saboteurs" for the attack, according to Reuters.

There are 15 nuclear reactors in Ukraine and concerns have been mounting since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

"Any accident caused as a result of the military conflict could have extremely serious consequences for people and the environment, in Ukraine and beyond," Grossi warned on Wednesday.

Ukraine had earlier this week sought "immediate assistance" to ensure the safety of Chernobyl and other nuclear facilities in Ukraine from the international nuclear agency, but the IAEA chief said he would not send his staff before conditions are agreed.