A Ukrainian nuclear power plant staff member has taken part in training in Japan to prevent nuclear material from being used for malicious purposes.

The Japan Atomic Energy Agency is holding training sessions in Ibaraki Prefecture, north of Tokyo. Eighteen people from 14 countries participated. Tetiana Bychkoava from Ukraine is one of them. She is in charge of protecting nuclear material at the Khmelnytskyi plant in western Ukraine.

In the training, the participants learned measures to prevent unauthorized people from entering plants and foil terrorists' attempts to steal and use nuclear material. The agency used a virtual reality system for the training.

In Ukraine, repeated shelling attacks on nuclear plants have been reported.

Russia is claiming that Ukraine may use a so-called dirty bomb that is designed to scatter nuclear substances.

In a rebuttal, Ukraine's state nuclear power company says the Russian military might be preparing an act of terrorism, using nuclear material and radioactive waste stored at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia plant.

During the training session, Bychkoava said a critical situation similar to one the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant experienced in 2011 is about to occur due to Russian attacks. She also said she is wondering how to protect nuclear facilities.

Naoi Yosuke, a senior official of the Japanese agency, said once a dirty bomb is used, it will affect a wide area and stir up fears among people. He said it is important to raise international awareness of nuclear security to prevent such a weapon from being used.