Ukraine accuses Russia of shelling the route established by IAEA to reach the Zaporiyia plant

Latest news on the war pitting Russia and Ukraine.

Grossi confirms presence of “military activity” in the area, but stresses that IAEA mission continues

Ukraine has accused Russian forces of launching air strikes on the route established by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to reach the Zaporiyia nuclear power plant, where a team of experts is scheduled to move this Thursday to assess the situation at the plant.

The head of the Zaporiyia Regional Military Administration, Oleksandr Staruj, has denounced that these alleged attacks have not allowed a UN team to continue “for security reasons,” he has told on his Telegram channel.

Staruj also assured that Ukraine is doing everything possible to guarantee the IAEA mission access to the nuclear plant, under Russian control since March 4 and the scene in recent months of attacks for which both sides have blamed each other.

“We demand that Russia stop the provocations and grant the IAEA unimpeded access to Ukraine’s nuclear facilities,” Starukh demanded. While from Moscow, Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Maria Zakharova defended that they are doing everything necessary for the success of the nuclear agency’s mission.

On the other hand, Dimitro Orlov, the mayor of Energodar, where the Zaporiyia power plant is located, denounced Thursday that the city has been the target of “constant shelling” since early in the morning.

“Since five o’clock this morning, constant mortar shelling on the city has not stopped (…). Several civilian targets are known to have been hit. There are casualties! We are finding out exactly how many,” he has written on his Telegram channel.

“WE WILL NOT STOP.”

The IAEA director, Rafael Grossi, has appeared before the media to confirm that, despite this “increased military activity” that has been registered in the areas around the plant, the special mission will not stop.

“There has been increased military activity, but weighing the pros and cons and having come so far, we are not stopping (…) We have a very important mission to accomplish,” Grossi has stressed.

He also pointed out that after the first analysis of the situation at the plant, he and his team of fourteen experts will evaluate the possibility of establishing a permanent IAEA presence at the nuclear plant “to stabilize the situation” and to be able to “provide regular, impartial and neutral updates” on the situation.

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