Russia assured that Ukraine's Zaporiyia nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe and now controlled by Russian troops, "is operating normally".
"The Zaporiyia nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe, is operating normally," Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu assured at a meeting with the Army's top brass.
He added that the "uninterrupted" work of thirty-three coal mines, two oil fields and fourteen gas fields on the territory of Donetsk and Lugansk regions, which passed under the control of pro-Russian militias within the framework of the Russian "special military operation" in Ukraine, is also continuing.
The director general of the IAEA, the UN nuclear agency, Rafael Grossi, announced Monday that he is preparing to send an international mission to the Zaporiyia plant to ensure its safety amid hostilities in the area.
However, Ukraine is opposed to Grossi visiting the Zaporiyia nuclear power plant while it is occupied by the Russians, the Ukrainian atomic plant operator said.
"Ukraine did not invite Grossi to visit the Zaporiyia power plant and refused him in the past to make such a visit. The visit of the power plant will be possible only when Ukraine regains control of the site," the Energoatom operator wrote in Telegram.
Grossi indicated on Twitter on Monday that the IAEA was preparing an expert mission to the Zaporiyia plant, asserting that Ukraine had "requested" it.
"IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi lies again," Energoatom denounced. "We consider this statement as a new attempt to gain access to the Zaporiyia power plant in order to legitimize the presence of the occupiers and approve their actions," he continued.
"The loss of communication" between the IAEA and the plant is due to the fact that the Russians blocked the Ukrainian mobile operator Vodafone at the site, according to Energoatom.
Russia threatened on May 19 to cut Ukraine off from its Zaporiyia nuclear power plant unless Kiev paid Moscow for the electricity produced.
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