The International Atomic Energy Agency said ‌on Monday meteorological monitoring equipment at the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine had been damaged by a drone.

The Zaporizhzhia plant, Europe's largest with six reactors, was seized by Russian forces in the early ‌weeks of Moscow's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Each ​side has since regularly accused the other of military action which could compromise safety at the plant, located ⁠near the war's front line.

Posting on X, the IAEA ​said a team of its experts had visited the station's External ⁠Radiation Control Laboratory (ERCL), a day after the plant's Russian management said it had been hit by a drone.

"Team observed damage to some of the ‌lab's meteorological monitoring equipment which is no longer operational," the ​IAEA, the U.N.'s nuclear ‌watchdog, said in its statement.

The statement said IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi had issued ‌a fresh appeal "for maximum military restraint near all nuclear facilities to avoid safety risks."

The plant, which now produces no electricity, ⁠has been struck several times by ‌drones since the ⁠beginning of the conflict. The plant's management on Sunday said damage has been minor ⁠and ⁠that operations were otherwise unaffected.

One of the station's external power lines - required to keep nuclear ‌fuel cool - has been down since late March and the IAEA said last week it was trying to arrange a local ceasefire ‌to carry ​out repair work.

Grossi has ‌paid several visits to the Zaporizhzhia plant since it came under Russian control and the IAEA has placed observers ​permanently at Zaporizhzhia and Ukraine's three other functioning nuclear stations.