<div><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday urged the international community to "react immediately" to force Russian forces to leave the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant targeted by shelling in recent days.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>"The entire world must react immediately to chase out the occupiers from Zaporizhzhia," Zelensky said in his daily video address.</div><div><br></div><div>"Only the Russians' full withdrawal... would guarantee nuclear safety for all of Europe," he added, condemning "Russian nuclear blackmail".</div><div><br></div><div>The nuclear plant in southern Ukraine is Europe's largest and has been occupied by Russian troops since March, shortly after Moscow launched its invasion on February 24.</div><div><br></div><div>Russia and Ukraine accused each other of fresh shelling near the plant on Thursday, but their claims have not been verified independently.</div><div><br></div><div>Bombardment near the plant also occurred last week, raising the spectre of a nuclear catastrophe in a country which suffered the Chernobyl disaster in 1986.</div><div><br></div><div>Ukraine's state nuclear company Energoatom on Thursday said radioactive substances were located near the strikes and that radiation sensors were damaged.</div><div><br></div><div>The head of the UN nuclear watchdog told an emergency meeting of the Security Council on Thursday that it was "a serious hour" as fighting had sparked a "grave" crisis at Zaporizhzhia.</div><div><br></div><div>Rafael Grossi demanded that the International Atomic Energy Agency be granted access to the site as soon as possible. AFP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>