MOSCOW: While IAEA inspectors were en route to the Zaporizhzhya nuclear plant, Ukraine on Wednesday accused the Russian military of opening fire at a nearby town.
Avne Yevtushenko, the head of the military administration of the Nikopol district, which is located on the northern bank of the Dniepr, said that "Russian forces are shelling Energodar."
The allegation comes after UN nuclear inspectors left for the plant, raising concerns about a Fukushima-style radiation disaster amid rising tensions between Kyiv and Moscow over inspections after weeks of shelling in the region. Was.
Inspectors are expected to spend the night in the nearby city of Zaporizhzhya before visiting the plant, located in Russian-controlled territory, on Thursday, according to a Reuters reporter who traveled in a convoy with an IAEA team from Kyiv. Ukraine.
The IAEA and Ukrainian officials predicted a longer journey than Russian-established local officials, who said it could last only a day.
After six months of hard work, we are finally moving forward, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi told reporters, adding that as the convoy left, the mission was intended to remain in place "for a few days".
“We need to do our part to assess the real situation there and stabilize it as much as possible. We are entering a conflict zone and occupied territory, so both the Russian Federation and Ukraine must provide clear guarantees It's safe, according to Grossi.
Europe's largest plant was in what was referred to as a "special military operation" by Russia in early March, portrayed by Kyiv and the West as an unprovoked offensive aimed at seizing territory and erasing Ukrainian identity. Is.
Since then, a Russian military force has been stationed at the plant, with most Ukrainian staff working tirelessly to maintain the operation of the facility, which has historically met 20% of Ukraine's electricity needs.
Russia and Ukraine have been accusing each other for weeks of endangering the plant's security from artillery or drone strikes.
According to Kyiv, Russia is using the plant as a shield to bomb cities and towns because it is difficult for Ukraine to retaliate. Additionally, it claimed that Russian forces had opened fire on the plant.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said late Tuesday that the situation at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant, Enerhodar and surrounding areas "remains extremely dangerous." "Russian action does not reduce the risk of a radiation disaster for an hour."
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the radiation level at the plant is typical.
Asked why it would attack a facility where its own troops have been described as a security detail, Moscow has denied Ukrainian claims of reckless behavior.
Moscow has responded by accusing Ukraine of shelling the plant in an attempt to spark international outrage, which Kyiv hopes will lead to the establishment of a demilitarized zone. For now, Russia has said it has no plans to reduce its force presence.
According to Zelensky, active military engagement is currently taking place in the South, the Kharkiv region and the entire front line, including in the Donbass.
At the start of the six-month conflict, Russia occupied large parts of southern Ukraine close to the Black Sea coast, including the Kherson region north of the Russian-occupied Crimean peninsula.
Control of the region is seen by Ukraine as necessary to thwart Russian attempts to seize more land in the west, which could eventually cut off its access to the Black Sea.
Ukraine, an ally of Britain, claimed that Ukrainian formations in the south had taken advantage of Russia's porous defenses to push back Russian front-line forces in some places.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, its troops have repelled the Ukrainian army, denying reports of Ukrainian military progress.
Russia's latest gas cutoff tightens the energy screws on Europe
Russia's Gazprom has announced that it will stop supplying gas to the French utility Engie
