IAEA delegation to cross line of contact on UN special transport

The mission of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is likely to cross the front line on special vehicles of the United Nations for hot spots, Stephane Dujarric, a spokesman for the UN Secretary General, said at a briefing. About it writes TASS.

He noted that the UN will assist the delegation in crossing the line of contact, but the parties are responsible for security. “I assume that they will cross the front line on vehicles. The UN Secretariat provides assistance with logistics and security. As to when and where this line will be crossed, one should ask the IAEA. Obviously, the parties that control the territory where the mission will take place are also responsible for its security,” Dujarric said.

Earlier in the day, CNN informedthat the mission, consisting of 14 specialists, arrived in Kyiv. The Ukrainian media specified that among the experts there are representatives of Poland, Lithuania, China, France, Mexico and other countries.

The day before, IAEA Director Rafael Grossi said that the delegation under his leadership finally moved towards the Zaporozhye NPP. He stressed that the purpose of the mission is to ensure the safety and security of “the largest nuclear facility in Ukraine and Europe.” The Wall Street Journal reported that the mission will last from August 31 to September 3, after which some of the observers may remain at the Zaporozhye NPP on a permanent basis.

Earlier, the press secretary of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov said that the IAEA delegation would visit the ZNPP territory from the zones controlled by the Ukrainian armed forces. The safety of specialists will be ensured by them, Peskov stressed. At the same time, he also stressed that the IAEA mission would be guaranteed safety during its stay on the territory of the ZNPP.

During the special operation, the Russian army took control of a part of the Zaporozhye region of Ukraine, including Enerhodar, where the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, the ZNPP, is located. The Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) regularly shell Energodar, the surrounding villages and the territory of the ZNPP adjacent to the city, which jeopardizes nuclear safety in Europe. In this regard, the Council of the State Duma of the Russian Federation called on the UN and the IAEA to demand that Kyiv immediately stop shelling the station.