A mission of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is headed to Ukraine’s Enerhodar to assess the situation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi stated.
In turn, the pro-Russian “officials” of the Zaporizhzhia region have stated that they are ready to welcome the IAEA mission and ensure their safety. “The main question is whether Ukraine is ready to maintain a ceasefire for the duration of the mission’s visit,” head of the regional “administration” Yevgeny Balitsky said.
He also stated that the “Kyiv regime is doing everything possible to stop IAEA representatives from coming”. “This visit is not in the interest of Ukraine — nothing to speculate on,” Balitsky said.
On 28 February, the Russian Defence Ministry stated that it had taken control of Enerhodar, where the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is located. The Russian military also reported capturing Berdyansk, Melitopol and the territory around the nuclear plant. The plant itself was captured by the Russian forces on 4 March.
In mid-August, the authorities of the European Union and 42 countries called upon Russia to withdraw its troops from the territory of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
