Russia's defence ministry on Wednesday said that a large-caliber shell had damaged a technical water pipe at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine, Russian state-owned news agency RIA reported.

The Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant was captured by Russian forces in March. It remains close to the frontline, and has come under fire repeatedly in recent months, raising fears of a nuclear catastrophe. Both Ukraine and Russia blame each other for shelling the facility. (Reporting by Reuters; editing by Guy Faulconbridge)