The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was granted access today, Friday, to parts of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant controlled by Russia after a month of requests, stating that it found no explosives. The agency noted, "Experts (from the IAEA) observed no mines or explosives on the roofs of the reactor buildings of Units Three and Four or in the turbine halls after being allowed entrance yesterday afternoon."
The agency’s statement mentioned that "following repeated requests, the team was able to access the roofs of the reactor units unimpeded and clearly see the roofs of the turbine halls. The team will continue to submit requests to visit the roofs of the other four units." Previously, on July 5, the agency stated that access to the roofs of the two units and parts of the turbine halls was essential. The Ukrainian Armed Forces had reported the day before that "operational data" indicated the presence of "explosive devices" on the roofs.
On July 4, Russia and Ukraine exchanged accusations of planning to launch an attack on Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, with the agency repeatedly warning of the potential for a disaster due to clashes occurring near the plant. A small IAEA team present at the facility sought to verify those allegations and issued updates in the following weeks, stating there were no signs of explosives in the areas it could access, apart from mines outside the plant's boundaries, which evidently posed no threat to its safety.
