Ukraine: Russia intends to derail the IAEA mission with new shelling

The chief of staff to Ukraine’s president accused Russia of attempting to “wreck” the International Atomic Energy Agency’s inspection visit to the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, claiming that Russia shelled the plant again on Thursday.

“The Russians shelled (Enerhodar) and the territory of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant,” Yermak wrote on Telegram, accusing Russia of acting like a “terrorist state.”

The Zaporizhzhia plant, which is located next to Enerhodar, was occupied by Russian forces in March, but it is still connected to the Ukrainian electricity grid and is run by employees of Ukraine’s state nuclear company Energoatom.

The area around the plant has been shelled several times in the last month, with Kyiv and Moscow trading blame for the strikes.

“Russia is to blame for everything that is going on at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant and in Enerhodar,” Yermak wrote on Thursday, adding, “They want to sabotage the IAEA mission’s visit.”

Minutes later, presidential aide Mykhailo Podolyak tweeted that Russia was carrying out “demonstrative strikes” in Enerhodar to blame on Ukraine.

“Russia conducts demonstrative strikes on Enerhodar, along the official route of the IAEA mission, in order to blame Ukraine,” Podolyak wrote, adding that this was a “demonstration of (Russia’s) genuine ‘interest’ in the inspection.”

The mission of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog aims to assess the risks posed by the area’s ongoing hostilities.

Russia’s defence ministry and a local official backed by Moscow accused Ukraine of attempting to seize the Zaporizhzhia plant after reports that up to 60 Ukrainian soldiers crossed the front-line Dnipro river in boats early Thursday.

According to the ministry, “measures have been taken” to destroy Ukrainian troops, including the use of military aircraft.

Reuters could not immediately confirm either side’s reports.