Russia-Ukraine war: Nuclear inspectors reach Zaporizhzhia plant

International inspectors have reached Europe’s biggest nuclear power station to inspect the safety of the shell-damaged site on the frontline in southeastern Ukraine, after Kyiv and Moscow accused each other of intensifying military action to hamper the visit.

A 14-strong team from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) entered the Russian-occupied Enerhodar facility on Thursday afternoon.

After later returning to Ukrainian-held territory, IAEA director general Rafael Grossi said: “We are not going anywhere. The IAEA is now there, it is at the plant and it is not moving — it’s going to stay there.”

Mr Grossi said explanations given to the team during the visit, which lasted “a few hours”, were “very clear”.

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He said a group of IAEA experts had stayed behind at the plant and would provide an impartial, neutral and technically sound assessment of the situation. “I worried, I worry and I will continue to be worried about the plant until we have a situation which is more stable, which is more predictable.”

The IAEA team reached the station after a delay of several hours due to security concerns around their route and the plant itself. Ukraine and Russia accused each other’s forces of firing artillery close to the power station and at the nearby town of Enerhodar, and Moscow claimed that Ukrainian soldiers had launched a dawn raid on occupied territory to capture the plant.

Mr Grossi, who is leading the mission, had said his team was aware of “increased military activity in the area” but would not be deterred from a visit that both warring sides claim to support but which has taken weeks to arrange: “Having come so far, we are not stopping,” he said.

Russian state television showed the inspectors being shown damage to the plant by someone it described as a representative of Rosatom, Russia’s atomic energy operator.

Moscow and Kyiv blame each other’s troops for shelling that has damaged power lines and radiation sensors at the six-reactor facility, which was seized by Russia shortly after it launched an all-out invasion of its neighbour on February 24th.

Ukrainian technicians still run the plant, overseen by Russian troops who have allegedly mined the site and are using it to shield themselves and their heavy weaponry from enemy attack, while also firing from the area towards Kyiv-controlled towns and cities across the Dnieper river.

“Russia shelled Enerhodar and the territory of the [plant]. They want to disrupt the visit of the IAEA mission. These are the actions of a terrorist state afraid of the world learning the truth,” said Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “Of course we fear provocations from the Ukrainian side, given that absolutely barbaric and provocative shelling is continuing. These are attempts to destabilise the situation. But we are still waiting for this mission and are ready to co-operate, we want the mission to reach the plant.”

Russia’s defence ministry claimed that early on Thursday “Ukrainian troops in two sabotage groups on seven boats numbering up to 60 people” crossed the Dnieper river with the aim of seizing the power station, but were stopped by Russian soldiers and helicopters.

Moscow-installed officials in the area claimed that most of the attackers were killed and that they had been trained by Britain, which also allegedly planned the operation. Russia presented no evidence to support any of its claims about the supposed raid.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin said Russian president Vladimir Putin would not attend the funeral of Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the Soviet Union. State media on Thursday showed Mr Putin solemnly placing flowers beside the coffin of Mr Gorbachev, who will not be granted a full state funeral. - Additional reporting: Reuters, Guardian