Russia has taken “worrying steps” towards restarting reactors at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, according to a report published by Bellona, a non-profit Environmental Foundation based in Norway.

The report, which analyses the technical and political aspects of a potential restart, says that restarting Zaporizhzhia’s six Soviet-built reactors would require a “colossal” effort, but suggests they are “well underway”.

Bellona said the station, seized by Russian forces in March of 2022, is the largest in Europe. It is also perilously close to the front lines of the war, and both sides have traded accusations that their opponent has attacked the plant.

The Bellona report was published as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it had been informed that several drones struck locations in the vicinity of the Zaporizhzhia site on 3 July, injuring workers and causing forest fires.