Amid reports of heavy fighting near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant site, Ukraine has accused Russia of "lies, manipulation and distortion" of the real state of affairs before the visiting IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) mission.
The director general of IAEA Rafael Mariano Grossi announced that IAEA will continue to have its presence in Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant site
However, Ukraine, according to reports, claimed that the vast majority of "media from around the world" who came to the station yesterday are Russian propagandists. Buses with Ukrainian and foreign journalists who tried to get to the Zaporizhzhia NPP together with the IAEA mission through the territory of Ukraine were not allowed by the rioters at the checkpoint.
The Russians did not allow the mission to the crisis center of the power plant, where Russian military personnel are currently stationed, whom the IAEA representatives were not supposed to see. In other words, some of the armed Russian invaders were simply "hidden" at the nuclear plant.
Energoatom, the Ukrainian operator of the power plant republished on its Telegram channel some overnight quotes from Ukraine’s energy minister, German Galushchenko. He told Ukrainian television: The IAEA mission must state that the presence of the military, the presence of weapons at the station, is a real threat to nuclear safety. This is obvious. This mission is unique because there are no analogues in the history of the IAEA at all. Missions took place at objects that were controlled by states. But there was no such mission format as it is now.
Recommendations and reports of the IAEA should be sent to Ukraine and Energoatom. And we must implement these recommendations, and eliminate the consequences of the barbaric actions of the occupiers. But for that we need to have access to the station. It should be returned under the control of Ukraine.
Energoatom said Russian officials “are making every effort to prevent the International Atomic Energy Agency mission from getting to know the real state of affairs” at the Russian-held power plant.
The Guardian, quoting a nuclear plant employee, said the Russians led Grossi and the inspectors along their route, showed them ‘arrival maps’ and brought local collaborators to them with statements from ‘indifferent citizens’ about the need to stop the shelling. It was a circus.”