ISTANBUL

Ukraine's national nuclear energy provider has alleged that Russian forces are torturing its workers at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia plant.

“At the Zaporizhzhia NPP, the occupiers increased the pressure on workers and forced them to sign a contract with the Russians under torture,” Energoatom said in a statement on Tuesday.

In the nuclear plant's satellite city of Enerhodar, Russian forces are harassing Ukrainian workers who have so far resisted signing employment contracts with Russia’s state nuclear energy corporation Rosatom, the statement said.

“The occupiers are torturing the workers, they unceremoniously beat several of them, forcing them to agree to cooperate with the aggressor,” the statement added.

Russian authorities have not yet responded to the claims.

Also on Tuesday, Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said during a briefing to the UN Security Council that the nuclear safety and security situation at the Zaporizhzhia NPP “continues to be extremely fragile and dangerous.''

Zaporizhzhia, Europe’s largest and one of the world’s 10 biggest nuclear power plants, has been under Russian control since March last year, soon after the start of the Ukraine war.​​​​​​​

Fears of a nuclear catastrophe persist amid claims of shelling around the area.