The site of Ukraine's defunct Chernobyl nuclear plant -- partially destroyed in a 1986 meltdown -- lost power on Wednesday after Russia shelled a nearby substation, Kyiv said.

The UN's atomic energy watchdog said the blackout affected the confinement structure housing the plant's damaged reactor core, and that two emergency diesel generators were now supplying it with electricity.

The incident comes eight days after the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in southern Ukraine also lost power -- an ongoing situation that Ukraine calls "critical" but that Russia says is "under control".

Both incidents have heightened concerns about the safety of Ukraine's nuclear sites, which have suffered repeated attacks since Russia's 2022 invasion.

"Today, a Russian strike on one of our energy

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