UN Nuclear Energy Mission Reaches Damaged Nuclear Plant in Ukraine Amid High Risks

An inspection team from the U.N. reached the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine on Thursday to protect it from a potential massive disaster.

The team arrived amid the battle between Russian and Ukrainian forces, which forced the shutdown of one reactor and highlighted the urgency and danger of the mission, AP News reported.

In a convoy of SUVs and vans, the 14-person team from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) arrived at Europe's largest nuclear plant following months of dialogues to get access to the complex and take action to avert a catastrophe on the continent. Rafael Grossi, the head of the IAEA, oversaw the inspectors.

Russia and Ukraine both accused the other of bombarding the region and attempting to scuttle the experts' visit as they were traveling into Zaporizhzhia. The team's journey to the factory was slowed down by the intense bombardment.

The state-owned nuclear power corporation of Ukraine, Energoatom, said that the Russian mortar fire had damaged a backup power supply line used for internal purposes and had caused one of its reactors to be shut down by its emergency protection system. The company noted that a reactor at the plant that wasn't in use was swapped for a diesel generator.

Inceased Military Activity Around the Nuclear Plant

During the trip, Grossi claimed there has been "increased military activity" in the area. After being informed by the Ukrainian military, he chose to move through despite the risks.

Grossi said: "Weighing the pros and cons and having come so far, we are not stopping."

Although the dangers were "very, very high" in the so-called "gray zone" between Ukrainian and Russian lines, Grossi, who personally negotiated with Ukrainian officials to facilitate the team's passage, emphasized earlier that They have the "minimum conditions to move."

Russian Forces Reportedly Shooting UN Inspectors

Officials from both sides claimed early Thursday that shelling of the facility itself set off its safety systems, caused the closure of one of its reactors, and damaged the power supply connections, per NBC News.

While a local Russian-installed official claimed Ukrainian forces were a fault, the state nuclear agency of Ukraine blamed Russian forces for the bombardment. For the first time in its 40-year existence, the plant was cut off from Ukraine's national power grid last week.

Oleksandr Starukh, the regional administrator for Ukraine, claimed in a Telegram post that Moscow's forces were also firing at the inspectors' route as they left the city of Zaporizhzhia, which is under Ukrainian control, for the nearby plant, which has been governed by Russian forces since the beginning of the conflict.

The bombardment of the neighboring town of Enerhodar was also a point of dispute among both parties.

The mission has been delayed on the Ukrainian-controlled side of the frontline for about three hours, according to an IAEA spokesman, who also noted that Grossi "has personally negotiated with Ukrainian military authorities to be able to proceed and he remains determined that this important mission reaches the ZNPP today."

Since the beginning of the six-month-old war, Russian soldiers have been occupying the Zaporizhzhia complex, according to News Nation Now.