Moscow, 5 October 2022 (dpa/MIA) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the government to nationalize Ukraine's Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe. Russian troops currently occupy the plant, where heavy fighting has caused significant concern in recent months. "The government is instructed to ensure that objects for the use of nuclear energy of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant and other property necessary for its functioning are taken into state ownership," stated a decree published on Wednesday. Moscow gained control of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant in early March, soon after the invasion began, as the Kremlin seized control of large parts of southern Ukraine. Since then, the plant has repeatedly been attacked and has been shut down several times for safety reasons, leading to significant concern about a possible nuclear catastrophe. Moscow and Kiev each blame each other for damage to the plant and its power supplies. There is also concern about the safety of the Ukrainian workers operating the plant under Russian military commanders. Russia recently annexed four Ukrainian regions including the Zaporizhzhya region, where the nuclear power plant is located, in a move that violated international law. Ukraine has vowed to fight for the liberation of the areas affected, namely Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhya and Kherson.