Nuclear watchdog to visit Russian-held plant in coming days

The International Atomic Energy Agency could travel to Ukraine’s Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant for a mission in southern Ukraine in the coming days, Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko said on Thursday.

“A visit is planned. We are talking about the coming days – definitely no later than the beginning of September,” Galushchenko told Reuters in an interview in Kyiv.

Fears have mounted over Europe’s largest nuclear power plant which Russia captured in March after invading Ukraine in February. Ukraine and Russia have accused each other of shelling the plant.

Ukraine’s state nuclear company said earlier that the nuclear power plant had been disconnected from the Ukrainian grid.

Galushchenko told Reuters it was vital the IAEA mission was able to see what was happening at the plant.