Earlier this month the IAEA called for establishing a "nuclear safety and security protection zone" around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine, whose safety has raised international concerns amid recent shelling. The aim is to "prevent a nuclear accident arising from physical damage caused by military means," the agency said in a report on Ukraine's nuclear safety, security and safeguards situation.

Zaporizhzhia, one of Europe's largest nuclear power plants, has been controlled by Russian forces since early March, while its Ukrainian staff has continued to operate it. In recent weeks, the site of the plant has been attacked by shelling, with Ukraine and Russia accusing each other of the strikes.