Ukraine war: Zaporizhzhia 'blackmail', Hungary imports more gas, anthem played to Russian tourists

euronews.com:

Kyiv and Moscow once again accused one another of firing on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station on Sunday. 

Ukraine's nuclear agency Energoatom claimed there had been "new provocations" over the weekend, with alleged Russian shells hitting the plant with intervals of 3 to 5 seconds. 

Russian-backed authorities in occupied areas around Zaporizhzhia claimed Ukrainian forces were behind the shelling, which damaged a pump and caused a fire to break out at the plant. 

Euronews cannot independently verify these claims. 

Russia seized the plant -- which is the largest in Europe -- early on into the war, and has since been accused by Ukraine of using it as a military base. 

It has been shelled multiple times in recent weeks, raising fears of a nuclear disaster and leading the UN to call an urgent meeting last week. 

In his daily address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy denounced what he called "Russian blackmail" over the nuclear station. 

"The occupiers are trying to intimidate people in an extremely cynical way by using the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant," he said, claiming that Russian forces are bombing Ukrainian-held towns from the site. 

Zelenskyy warned that Russia's occupation of the site is increasing the "nuclear threat to Europe". He called for new sanctions and said that those behind the "blackmail" should "be tried in an international court."

The Ukrainian authorities, supported by their Western allies, are calling for the demilitarisation of the area and the withdrawal of Russian troops who have occupied the site since March.

Hungary announced on Saturday that it is importing more Russian gas than previously planned under trade deals, following a visit by its top diplomat to Moscow in July.

Russian energy giant