The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine said that Russia blocked the rotation of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts at Europe’s largest nuclear power plant in the Ukrainian city of Energodar, which was occupied by the Russians shortly after February 24, Kyiv Independent reports.

A Russian soldier measures the level of radiation at the Zaporizhia NPPPhoto: Kostyantyn Mikhalchevsky / Sputnik / Profimedia

According to the agency, Russia continues to actively place military and military equipment at the facility: “Russia grossly violates the norms of international law, undermines the norms of nuclear and radiation safety.”

The ministry added that Russia is showing “complete disregard” for the IAEA’s demand to immediately withdraw weapons and military personnel from the plant. “If Russia is not stopped, its criminal actions at the Ukrainian nuclear power plant may lead to a catastrophe that Europe does not know.”

In December, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that “there is no question of Russia withdrawing from the Zaporizhia NPP or transferring control over it to a third party.

In early February 2023, Rosatom said it was ready to continue work on creating a safety zone around the Zaporizhzhia NPP after a meeting of company representatives with UN chief Rafael Grossi, Reuters reports.

“In connection with this (the head of Rosatom) Oleksiy Likhachev expressed the readiness of the Russian side to continue the work on the implementation of the initiative of the IAEA director general,” the message reads.