Experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) arrived in southern Ukraine on Wednesday ahead of a planned inspection of the embattled Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, transmits news agency MIA.
They arrived in Zaporizhzhya city, which is in Ukrainian hands, though the surrounding Zaporizhzhya region has been captured by Russia. The 14-member team headed by IAEA chief and head of mission Rafael Grossi left the Ukrainian capital Kiev early Wednesday morning en route to the nuclear plant, which is in the town of Enerhodar some 120 kilometres from Zaporizhzhya city.
The nuclear plant was occupied by Russian troops shortly after the invasion of Ukraine began at the end of February. Ukrainian nuclear power plant operator Enerhoatom published a video of the team’s arrival after a nearly nine-hour drive from Kiev on Wednesday afternoon.
The Russian occupying administration in the region also confirmed the team was expected at the plant to carry out an inspection on Thursday. Grossi and 13 experts plan to stay for several days and aim to stabilize the situation as much as possible. The IAEA chief hopes to hold talks with the power plant’s Ukrainian staff during the visit.
The agency also hopes to establish a permanent presence at the plant, Grossi said according to Ukrainian media reports. Alexander Volga, the Russian chief of the city of Enerhodar, also confirmed the IAEA was planning a permanent presence of 6 to 8 specialists at the plant.
Grossi stressed that his team had received all the necessary safe passage guarantees for the long journey to the war zone, some 450 kilometres from Kiev.
“We are going into occupied territory and this requires the explicit guarantees, not only from the Russian side, but also from the Republic of Ukraine,” he stressed.
