The Ministry of Defense of Russia on Wednesday accused the Ukrainian authorities of attempt to thwart the mission of the inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant with new attacks on the facility.
“The kyiv regime continued its provocations on August 30 to derail the IAEA mission and create a technological disaster threat at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant,” military spokesman Igor Konashenkov said.
According to Konashénkov, during a bombardment against the central the solid radioactive waste recycling building was hit.
“The enemy’s artillery unit was overwhelmed by return fire,” he said, adding that the radiation levels in the atomic plant are within the norm.
The IAEA mission heads this Wednesday to the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe and under Russian control since the beginning of March, to inspect the situation on the ground.
According to the Ukrainian agencies, the mission will try to establish a permanent representation in the facility.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andréi Rudenko assured on Wednesday that the IAEA’s intention to leaving a permanent mission at the plant “is being discussed”.
“That is not ruled out,” the diplomat told reporters in Moscow as asked to waitbecause the inspectors “have not yet arrived” at the plant.
the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyaccused Russia last night of not stop the “provocations” in the places where inspectors must pass to reach the Zaporizhia plant.
“The situation at the ZNPP (Zaporijia Nuclear Power Plant) and in Energodar, in the vicinity, remains extremely threatening. The occupants do not leave the plant, they continue to bomb and do not withdraw their weapons and ammunition from the territory of the nuclear power plant. They intimidate our plant staff. The risk of a radiation disaster due to Russian actions does not decrease for a single hour,” Zelensky said in his usual late-night address.
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