UPDATE - IAEA Maintains Presence At Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant - Regional Authorities

Fahad Shabbir (@FahadShabbir) Published September 12, 2022 | 05:30 AM

SIMFEROPOL (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th September, 2022) There are still experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) present at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP), Vladimir Rogov, a member of the main council of the Zaporizhzhia regional military-civil administration, confirmed to Sputnik.

"Two representatives of the IAEA remain at the Zaporizhzhia NPP. We have not received any information about any changes in their plans or schedule of stay at the nuclear power plant," Rogov said.

He added that the situation on the Zaporizhzhia front line is under control, a number of Ukrainian command posts and ammunition depots have been destroyed in recent days.

"The situation is under control. On the front line there isn't much change. Over the past couple of days, a number of command posts and ammunition depots have been destroyed on the territory of the Zaporozhye region still controlled by the Kiev authorities," Rogov told Sputnik, adding that over 70% of the Zaporizhzhia region has been liberated from Ukrainian troops.

On Sunday, the Zaporizhzhia regional authorities said that the last operating power unit at the ZNPP was shut down amid continuing shelling by Ukrainian troops. This was done to prevent a potential emergency situation that could be caused by shifting operation modes of the turbines and reactors due to shell-damaged power lines and other infrastructure.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said on Sunday that he was negotiating a safe zone around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

On Saturday, Rogov told Sputnik that the Kiev authorities had unilaterally stopped accepting electricity from the ZNPP.

The Kherson region and most of the Zaporizhzhia region are now controlled by the Russian military as a result of the special operation that began on February 24. Russia launched the special operation after the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics requested help to defend them from intensifying attacks by Ukrainian troops.