Fighting continues near Ukraine’s nuclear power plant despite concerns expressed by experts

Fierce fighting continues near Europe’s largest nuclear power plant in the Russian-controlled region of eastern Ukraine – a day after experts at the UN nuclear watchdog expressed concern over structural damage to the sprawling Zaporozhye nuclear power plant.

The British Ministry of Defence said shelling continued in the area where the Zaporozhye power plant was located.

The office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia shelled houses, gas pipelines and other infrastructure in the Nikopol region across the Dnieper River as part of nighttime fighting in several regions of eastern and southern Ukraine.

Braving artillery fire and shelling, an inspection team from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) crossed the front lines to the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant on Thursday to help protect the plant from disaster.

Thursday’s fighting resulted in the shutdown of one reactor – underscoring the urgency of their mission.

Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of trying to obstruct the work of IAEA experts or control information.

Mr Zelensky made tough remarks on the IAEA delegation in his evening speech on Thursday.

While applauding its arrival at the factory, he said independent journalists had been prevented from covering the visit, leaving the Russians on a one-sided “journey in vain.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a conference call with reporters that Moscow “actively” considered the delegation’s arrival “despite all the problems and difficulties caused by provocative actions on the Ukrainian side.”

After months of talks to allow the experts to pass through the front lines, a 14-person delegation arrived in a convoy of cars and vans.

IAEA director Rafael Grossi told reporters after keeping colleagues inside that the agency “did not move” from the plant and promised agency experts “continue to exist.”

Mr Grossi said it was “clear that the physical integrity of the plant and plant had been violated on a number of occasions” – but could not assess whether this was accidental or intentional.

“I will continue to worry about factories until our situation is more stable,” he said.

Mr Grossi said IAEA experts toured the entire site, including the control room, emergency systems and diesel generators, and met with plant staff.

The plant has been occupied by Russian troops since the beginning of the six-month war, but is run by Ukrainian engineers.

Ukraine claims Russia is using the plant as a shield in attacks.

On Friday, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu rejected Ukraine’s accusations and said Russia had no heavy weapons at the site or in the vicinity.

Mr Shoigu said the Ukrainian army fired 120 shells and used 16 suicide drones to attack the plant, “raising the real threat of a nuclear catastrophe in Europe”.

Before the IAEA team arrived, Ukrainian state nuclear power company Energoatom said a Russian mortar bombing had caused its emergency protection system to shut down one of its reactors and damaged backup power lines for internal needs.

The International Atomic Energy Agency announced plans to hold a news conference at its Vienna headquarters later on Friday to discuss the mission.

Energoatom on Friday accused the Russian military of “doing everything possible” to prevent the IAEA mission from knowing the facts on the ground.

On Thursday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Russia was securing the plant and that the mission “completed all its plans there”.

Elsewhere in Ukraine on Friday, Mr Zelensky’s office said four people were killed and 10 wounded on the final day of the Russian invasion of the eastern region of Donetsk, a key hub, and reports of rockets fired at Sloveniask The attack destroyed a children’s nursery.

Intense fighting continued in two areas in the southern Kherson region, it said.