The arrival of the IAEA mission to the territory controlled by Russia | Abroad

Earlier, there were reports of artillery shelling on the city. However, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi confirmed that the team would be leaving. “We won’t stop,” he said.

Kyiv accused Russia of deliberately firing on the road of the Group of Experts. It was then that the Russian army, according to him, prevented a Ukrainian landing on the bank of the Dnieper River near the plant.

The operator of Ukrainian nuclear power plants, Enerhoatom, said that after the bombing, a backup power cable was damaged and reactor No. 5 had to be shut down. According to the director, it was the mortar shelling by the Russians. Reactor 6 is still running and providing the site with the required power.

The data cannot be independently verified.

Russian forces have occupied the plant since early March, shortly after the start of the invasion of Ukraine. The plant contains six reactors and is the largest in Europe.

The International Committee of the Red Cross calls for an end to all military operations around Russia’s Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine. The organization warns of a “catastrophic” attack. “It is time for a ceasefire and for concrete measures to be taken as quickly as possible to protect the site and other similar places from all military operations,” said Robert Mardini, Director-General of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

“The slightest miscalculation would wreak havoc that we will regret for decades,” Mardini said. He described this as encouraging that the IAEA team was on its way because of the “enormous commitment”. “If dangerous sites become battlefields, the consequences for millions of people and the environment could be catastrophic and last for several years,” he stressed.

He also warned that in the event of a nuclear leak, it would be difficult or impossible to deliver humanitarian aid.