Ukrainian Troops Shell Energodar, Explosions Heard - Zaporozhye Regional Authorities

SIMFEROPOL (Sputnik) - Ukrainian troops have shelled the city of Energodar, located less than two miles from the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant (ZNPP), Vladimir Rogov, a member of the main council of the regional military-civil administration, said.

"There have been 5 explosions in Energodar. At about 1:45-1:50 a.m. [22:45-22:50 GMT on Friday], five explosions sounded in the city of power engineers, next to which the Zaporozhye NPP is located," Rogov said on Telegram.

In a later update, he said that more explosions, "about two dozen" were heard in Energodar at night.

Rogov added that Ukrainian troops have opened fire from a multiple rocket launcher, likely the US-supplied HIMARS. He specified that this particular shelling targeted the city of Nova Kakhovka.

Late on Friday night, Rogov said on Telegram that the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant had been shelled by Ukrainian troops and that a power line was damaged. He told Sputnik that the ZNPP continued to operate as usual, there was no critical damage and the radiation levels were normal.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, on Thursday, 60 Ukrainian paratroopers attempted to seize the ZNPP, ahead of the visit of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) mission, headed by IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi. The majority of the Ukrainian soldiers, who arrived in seven boats and landed on the coast of the Kakhovka reservoir, three kilometers (1.8miles) northeast of the ZNPP, were neutralized.

Ukrainian troops shelled Energodar on Thursday evening, while the IAEA delegation was still in the city, according to Alexander Volga, the head of the city administration. Local residents passed their complaints to the IAEA mission, saying that their city was routinely shelled by Ukrainian troops, and asked Grossi to convey their worries to the international community.

The IAEA mission has recorded facts of shelling of the ZNPP without giving any assessment, according to the Zaporozhye regional authorities. Grossi is expected to present a report to the agency's board of governors on the situation at the Zaporozhye NPP early next week.