The top official appointed by Russia in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region said on Friday that the bombing of a Russian-controlled nuclear power plant in the region has “almost stopped”, Reuters reports.

Speaking on Russian state television, the Russian-appointed governor of the region, Yevgeny Balytskyi, said that Russian troops would not leave the nuclear power plant and that it would never return to Ukrainian control.

The Zaporizhzhia factory, the largest in Europe, was seized by Russian forces in March, shortly after their invasion of Ukraine.

The plant remains close to the front lines and has come under repeated attacks in recent months, raising fears of a nuclear disaster. Moscow and Kyiv accuse each other of bombing the plant.

The International Atomic Energy Agency is trying to agree on the safety of the nuclear power plant, proposing to create a safe zone around it. On Thursday, Russian officials announced progress in talks with IAEA chief Rafael Grossi in Moscow.

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