IAEA Mission confirms Russia's deployment of military equipment, personnel at Zaporizhia NPP occupied by them

KYIV. Sept 6 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Members of the mission of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that Russia has deployed "military personnel, vehicles and equipment in different places of Zaporizhia NPP."

According to the IAEA report published on Tuesday evening on the results of the mission at ZNPP, which started on September 1, its members recorded, among other things, several military trucks on the first floor of the turbine halls in power Unit 1 and Unit 2.

The IAEA mission also recorded the presence of Rosatom expert group.

"The IAEA considers that the presence of Rosatom senior technical staff could lead to interference with the normal lines of operational command or authority and create potential frictions when it comes to decision-making," the agency said in the report.

It also says that during the mission, her brigade witnessed shelling in ZNPP area, in particular, on September 3.

Moreover, the team observed damage in various places at ZNPP site, including near the reactor buildings, caused by the operation of military equipment.

"Any shelling endangering the safety and security of the ZNPP needs to be avoided. Military equipment present on site and kinetic military exchanges occurring in close proximity to vital areas undermine the designed physical protection system," according to the report.