Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 2, 2025
1 min readLast updated: January 25, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleUkraine condemns IAEA's visit to Zaporizhzhia plant via Russian territory, citing a breach of sovereignty. The IAEA's visit faced delays due to military activity.
KYIV (Reuters) - Ukraine said on Sunday it condemned a "breach of territorial sovereignty" by employees of the U.N. nuclear watchdog who visited the Russia-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine via Russian-occupied territory.
In an emailed statement, Ukraine's foreign ministry blamed "Russian blackmail and systematic attempts to impose upon international organisations illegal and contradictory mechanisms of operating on the temporarily occupied territories."
A new monitoring mission from the IAEA arrived on Saturday at the Zaporizhzhia plant, which has been occupied by Russia since 2022, for the first time through Russian territory, the Russia-installed head of the plant said.
Previously, monitoring missions entered the Russian-occupied area from territory controlled by Kyiv. The IAEA did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Sunday.
The IAEA rotation came after weeks of delay caused by military activity around the site with each side blaming the other for violating rules to ensure the team's safe passage to the plant.
(Reporting by Max Hunder; Editing by Hugh Lawson and Ros Russell)
Ukraine's foreign ministry condemned the visit as a 'breach of territorial sovereignty' and blamed Russian blackmail.
The new monitoring mission arrived at the Zaporizhzhia plant for the first time through Russian territory, which has been occupied since 2022.
Previously, IAEA monitoring missions entered the Russian-occupied area from territory controlled by Kyiv.
The rotation was delayed due to military activity around the site, with both sides blaming each other for violating safety rules.
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