Russian troops should stop shelling corridors of IAEA delegation, not interfere with its activities at station – MFA

Russian occupation troops should stop shelling the corridors of the IAEA delegation and not interfere with its activities at the station, said spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Oleh Nikolenko.

"This is an important mission, and we are doing everything to make it happen safely and efficiently. The Russian occupation forces must stop shelling the corridors of the IAEA delegation and not interfere with its activities at the station," Nikolenko wrote on Facebook on Wednesday.

He noted that the IAEA mission is now on its way to the Zaporizhia NPP and stressed that the IAEA experts should record violations of standards and norms of nuclear and radiation safety at the NPP against the background of the Russian occupation.

"Ukraine's position remains unchanged: the NPP should be immediately demilitarized, de-occupied and placed under the full control of the Ukrainian government," Nikolenko said.

The Foreign Ministry spokesperson recalled that Russian troops had been illegally stationed on the territory of Europe's largest nuclear power plant for almost six months.

"Seven fundamental principles of peaceful use of nuclear technologies and nuclear energy have been grossly violated. The world is on the verge of a new man-made environmental and humanitarian catastrophe because of Russia's aggression against Ukraine and the continuing irresponsible actions of the Russian occupiers," he explained.

Nikolenko added that the international community should increase pressure on the Russian Federation until the complete demilitarization and de-occupation of the nuclear power plant and its return to the control of Ukraine.