Moscow Hopes for Objective Assessment of Situation at Zaporozhye NPP by IAEA

MOSCOW, (Sputnik) - Moscow expects that the visit of the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) mission to the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant (NPP) and the constant presence of two experts at the facility will allow the agency to objectively assess the situation at the plant, Russian foreign ministry said on Thursday.

On Tuesday, the IAEA issued a report on the situation at the Zaporozhye NPP and called on all sides to the Ukrainian conflict to end shelling of the facility and establish a nuclear safety and security protection zone around the plant. The mission also said it had observed damage caused to a special unit for storing radioactive waste and fresh nuclear fuel.

"We hope that this visit and the constant presence of two agency inspectors at the station, will now allow the IAEA to objectively assess the situation at the facility. We are ready to provide the necessary assistance on the issue," Zakharova told a press briefing.

At the same time, the spokeswoman noted that the IAEA report on the Zaporozhye NPP inspection did not indicate who exactly was to blame for the shelling of the facility.

"We are not the only ones who know that the Kiev regime is behind the regular shelling of the plant's territory. All the leading Western countries know this, they encourage these dangerous provocations of the [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelenskyy regime," Zakharova added.

The Zaporozhye NPP, located on the left bank of the Dnieper River, is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe in terms of the number of units and output. During the military operation in Ukraine, launched by Russia on February 24, the nuclear plant and surrounding area fell under the control by the Russian forces. The NPP has recently been targeted by multiple shelling, raising international concerns over a possible nuclear accident. Russia and Ukraine blame each other for the shelling incidents.