Russia might stage provocations during IAEA inspection of Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Ukraine says
Consequences of one of the Russian attacks on Nikopol (Photo:Сергій Лисак/Telegram)
Russian forces in southern Ukraine could be preparing provocations and artillery attacks on Nikopol, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, aimed to coincide with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) mission visiting the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, head of Nikopol District administration Yevhen Yevtushenko said in a Telegram post on March 28.
“Something is happening on the opposite bank of the (Kakhovka) reservoir,” Yevtushenko wrote.
“The occupiers, according to them, are preparing for the arrival of the IAEA team, while discussing possible provocations from the Armed Forces of Ukraine.”
Yevtushenko recalled provocations staged by Russian troops during the mission's previous visits – such as shelling nearby Enerhodar and adjacent territories with mortars and cannon artillery.
He adds that these provocations were accompanied by ludicrous narratives, spread by the Russian propaganda media.
The official called on residents of coastal areas, both on the liberated and occupied banks of the Kakhovka reservoir, to avoid staying in open places for the next week and heed official warnings of incoming artillery fire.
On March 25, the IAEA announced that Director General Rafael Grossi will visit the Zaporizhzhia NPP next week, which remains under Russian occupation, to "assess first-hand the serious nuclear safety and security situation at the facility and underline the urgent need to protect it during the ongoing military conflict in the country."
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