IAEA mission left Zaporizhzhia for Enerhodar, despite the shelling

The mission of the International Atomic Energy Agency left Zaporizhzhia for the nuclear power plant in Enerhodar, temporarily occupied by Russia, despite reports of intense shelling in the city.

This was stated by Rafael Grossi, the Director General of the IAEA, citing Reuters.

He noted that the mission was aware of “increased military activity in the area,” but continued with plans to visit the facility and meet with its personnel.

As Oleksandr Starukh, the head of the Regional Military Administration, wrote this morning, the Russians are shelling the pre-agreed route of the IAEA mission from Zaporizhzhia to the ZNPP.

“The advance UN team cannot continue the movement for security reasons. Ukraine continues to make efforts to organize the safe access of the international IAEA mission to the ZNPP,” he stated.

Starukh demands that Russia stop the provocations and grant the IAEA unimpeded access to the Ukrainian nuclear facility.

Herman Galushchenko, Energy Minister, noted on the air of the telethon that the Russian side, resorting to manipulations, may prevent the IAEA mission from visiting key facilities that must be inspected on the territory of the occupied ZNPP.

He says that the Ukrainian side discussed with the representatives of the mission the list of ZNPP facilities that should be inspected, and these proposals almost completely coincide with the assessments of IAEA experts.

“It is crucial that the Russians really allow access to those facilities that the mission aims to inspect... There can be manipulations: they can show some picture or draw up a route where in fact the mission simply will not be able to see what is happening... This can cast doubt on the results”, he stated.

Ukraine expects that the results of the mission will be the de-occupation of the ZNPP, its return under the full control of Ukraine, and further demilitarization of the territory around the plant, Galushchenko reminded.

About the IAEA mission at the ZNPP

Ukraine has repeatedly emphasized the need for an IAEA mission at the ZNPP. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the mission can quickly and safely get to the station in a legal way – through the free territory of Ukraine.

The IAEA visit was actively discussed after repeated shelling of the territories near the station by Russian troops. On the afternoon of August 25, the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine and Energoatom announced that the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant was completely disconnected from the power grid for the first time in history due to the actions of the occupiers. Then Rafael Grossi declared the urgent need to visit the ZNPP.

On August 30, a delegation of 14 international experts from Poland, Lithuania, Serbia, China, Albania, France, Italy, Jordan, Mexico, and North Macedonia arrived in Kyiv. The mission is headed by IAEA Director General, Rafael Grossi.

On the morning of August 31, the delegation left Kyiv and arrived in Zaporizhzhia at approximately 3 p.m. TASS, the Russian propaganda media, reported that the mission should arrive in Enerhodar on the morning of September 1.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine reported that during the visit to the ZNPP, the IAEA mission will focus on three tasks: physical protection, nuclear safety, and guarantees of non-proliferation of nuclear materials.