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International atomic agency head visiting Zaporizhzhya nuclear plant

International atomic agency head visiting Zaporizhzhya nuclear plant

Kiev, 29 March 2023 (dpa/MIA) - The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, arrived at the Russian-occupied Ukrainian nuclear power plant Zaporizhzhya on Wednesday for a second major inspection.

The 18-member delegation is looking to get an overview of the safety situation at Europe's largest nuclear power plant, which has been subject to repeated shelling throughout the war.

The Russian nuclear company Rosatom said that the majority of the experts would have to leave the plant again at 4 pm (1400 GMT), with only a select few IAEA specialists being allowed to remain.

Ukraine is demanding the withdrawal of Russian troops from the plant.

Grossi visited the power plant for the first time at the beginning of September.

Russia wants to use this investigation to show that it is taking care of the nuclear power plant's safety and repairing the damage after the shelling, said Rosatom representative Renat Katschaa. He denied Ukrainian accusations that weapons were being stored in the plant.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said Grossi does not plan to visit Moscow after the inspection.

Grossi also visited Ukrainian-controlled territory, when he checked in on IAEA observers in the city of Enerhodar, the nuclear power plant site, said Ukraine's state atomic energy company Enerhoatom on Telegram on Wednesday.