City under fire as UN nuclear inspectors head to the area

01.09.2022 09:21

City under fire as UN nuclear inspectors head to the area
Vladimir Rogov / Telegram

At least three civilians were killed and one injured after Ukrainian troops shelled the city of Energodar in southern Ukraine, Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported on Thursday, citing local officials.

Videos and photos posted on social media show clouds of smoke rising from the buildings.

The news comes as a team from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is heading to visit the embattled Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant located near Energodar.

Europe’s biggest nuclear plant was seized by Russian forces shortly after Moscow launched its military operation in the neighboring country in late February.

The facility, which continues to operate with local staff, has repeatedly come under fire, with Moscow and Kiev blaming each other for the attacks.

Aleksandr Volga, the Russian-appointed head of Energodar, said that a Ukrainian unit has been deployed near the city and that Russian military aircraft are targeting its fighters.

The IAEA team is expected to reach the plant on Thursday. “It’s a mission that seeks to prevent a nuclear accident,” IAEA chief Rafael Grossi told reporters on Wednesday after arriving in the city of Zaporozhye.