U.N. nuclear watchdog says it does not recognize Russia’s claims

A day after the Kremlin announced it would nationalize the plant and put it under Russia's control, the director of the United Nations nuclear watchdog said he did not recognize Russia's claims to control the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europe's largest.

Following sham referendums, Russia illegally annexed four Ukrainian regions, including the Zaporizhzhia region where the plant is located. Russia said on Wednesday it would take over operational control of the facility, which Russian forces seized in March but is still run by Ukrainian engineers.

The Kremlin s announcement that it would put the plant under control of the Russian state has caused more unease, as recurring shelling near the plant has fanned fears about a catastrophic meltdown.

On Wednesday, Rafael Mariano Grossi, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said that the I.A. was in Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital. The U.N. charter does not recognize illegal annexations, which is why the plant is viewed as a Ukrainian facility.