Russia captured the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in early March shortly after invading Ukraine, but Ukrainian staff had continued to operate it. Both Moscow and Kyiv have since accused each other of shelling the facility, risking a nuclear disaster.

“The Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant is now on the territory of the Russian Federation and, accordingly, should be operated under the supervision of our relevant agencies,” RIA quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin as saying.

It was not clear how Russia planned to operate the plant and if it would try and introduce its own staff to the complex.

Another state-owned Russian news agency, TASS, reported that Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the U.N. nuclear watchdog, will visit Moscow in the coming days to discuss the situation at the plant.

Russia acted to annex Zaporizhzhia and three other regions after holding what it called referendums – votes that were denounced by Kyiv and Western governments as illegal and coercive. Moscow does not fully control any of the regions.

(Reporting by Reuters; editing by Jason Neely)