Russian-installed official: Safety of IAEA mission to Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant will be ensured
A Russian-installed official in southern Ukraine said on Monday that authorities would ensure the safety of the upcoming International Atomic Energy Agency mission to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant near conflict frontlines.
The IAEA, the United Nations nuclear watchdog, said its inspectors will visit the plant this week. The facility has been occupied by Russian forces since the first days of the war in Ukraine, but is still managed by Ukrainian staff and connected to Ukraine's power grid.
Russia and Ukraine have traded accusations of shelling in the plant's vicinity, fuelling fears of a radiation disaster.
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Yevgeny Balitsky, head of the Russian-installed administration in the region, said officials were "ready to provide access to the station" and would use the opportunity to "provide evidence that Ukraine is behaving like a nuclear terrorist state".
Kyiv and Moscow have accused each other of shelling the nuclear reactor complex, Europe's largest, raising grave international concern and calls for a de-escalation and demilitarisation of the area.
In a post on Telegram, Balitsky added that the visit was certain to be "unprofitable for Ukraine," and he accused Kyiv of shelling a town near the plant in a bid to disrupt the inspection.
He also said he did not expect significant achievements from the visit and accused the IAEA of being "in the pocket" of the United States.
"As for the arrival of the IAEA, we do not expect great results. We understand that the Americans have all the European institutions in their pockets, which to a large extent work purely in the US interests. But in any case, we will ensure (the mission's) safety," the TASS news agency quoted Balitsky as saying in an interview on state television.
The Group of 7 leading industrialised countries on Monday welcomed the visit and said Russia must not try to disconnect the plant from the Ukrainian energy grid.
The IAEA said its inspectors would assess physical damage to the plant, evaluate the conditions in which staff are working and "determine functionality of safety & security systems". It would also "perform urgent safeguards activities", a reference to keeping track of nuclear material.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov earlier on Monday called on the international community to pressure Ukraine to reduce military tension at Zaporizhzhia.
