Intense military action near the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine prevented the rotation of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts at the site, IAEA director Rafael Grossi said.
The IAEA has experts stationed permanently at the Russian-occupied power plant to monitor the situation.
Despite written assurances from both Ukraine and Russia that the planned rotation could take place safely, the situation proved to be too dangerous and the mission was aborted, Grossi said.
“I deeply regret today’s cancellation of the carefully prepared and agreed rotation of our staff, who are carrying out vital work in very challenging circumstances to help prevent a nuclear accident during the military conflict. It is completely unacceptable that the safety of our staff is jeopardised in this way,” he said.
He was in “active consultation” with both sides to ensure the safety and continued presence of IAEA teams at the site.
Ukraine and Russia had accused each other of preventing the rotation.
A spokesman for Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry accused Russia of deliberately delaying approval of the location and timing of the crossing of the front line for the nuclear observers.
“The Kremlin is following its usual pattern of blackmail, threats and provocations,” Heorhii Tykhyi said in a statement.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry, in turn, accused Kiev of “provocations.”
But Russia claimed the exchange of the observer team was prevented by a deteriorating security situation as a result of Ukrainian drone attacks and mortar fire. No evidence of this was provided.
The IAEA observers are regularly rotated and normally travel across the Russian-Ukrainian front line into the area controlled by Kiev.
The nuclear power plant in the Zaporizhzhya region was occupied by Russian troops shortly after the war began nearly three years ago.
Ukrainian and Russian troops repeatedly blame each other for shelling the plant, which is located in the immediate vicinity of the front line. The six reactor units have been shut down, but still need to be cooled.
