Moscow: Russia on Tuesday accused Ukraine of disrupting the visit of the UN nuclear watchdog chief to the Zaporizhzhia power plant and the nearby city of Enerhodar. In a statement, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi planned to visit the facility on Aug. 20-21, but Kyiv refused to provide him with security guarantees.

According to Anadolu Agency, Zakharova stated that 'Kyiv cynically threatened the IAEA director general, directly stating that it could not guarantee his safety if he entered the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant through Russian territory.' The spokeswoman revealed that the visit had been arranged in connection with the scheduled rotation of IAEA experts at the plant.

Zakharova further explained Moscow had provided security guarantees that were acceptable to the IAEA, but Grossi ultimately canceled the trip. She also accused Ukraine of previously disrupting rotations of IAEA personnel at the facility, violating cease-fire arrangements intended to allow repairs to energy infrastructure serving the plant, and attacking vehicles carrying representatives of the agency's secretariat.

Ukrainian authorities have yet to comment on the accusations. Additionally, Zakharova mentioned a strike on a public transport stop in Enerhodar on Tuesday had killed one person and injured 15 others.

The Zaporizhzhia plant, Europe's largest nuclear power facility, has been under Russian control since March 2022. IAEA experts have maintained a presence there to monitor nuclear safety and security conditions.