IAEA Mission Arrived in Kyiv

CNN reporters in Kyiv say they saw the mission in the hotel on the morning of August 30.

Later, the press service of the Ministry of Energy confirmed to “Interfax-Ukraine” that the mission was indeed in Kyiv. Further plans of the IAEA mission were not announced for security reasons.

The mission consists of 14 specialists headed by the IAEA chief and was supposed to go to the ZNPP later this week. It is unknown whether it will be possible to do so.

As previously reported, the situation at the ZNPP has been at the center of attention since early August, when the Russian military began shelling the plant. Russia has rejected calls for the demilitarization of the nuclear plant under the pretext of “protecting it” from provocations and blames Ukraine for the shelling.

The United Nations had offered to help facilitate a visit by IAEA inspectors, but Moscow has insisted the inspectors travel to the plant via Russian-controlled territory.

On 25 August, for the first time in its history, the ZNPP was completely disconnected from the power grid.

Dmytro Orlov, Mayor of Energodar, said that it happened after shelling, but Energoatom claimed that the fires were the reason.

Later, the IAEA reported that the ZNPP had restored the connection to the fourth line of communication with the energy system of Ukraine, but that all six power units remained disconnected.