The Russian Foreign Ministry reported on the IAEA's desire to hastily change the order of rotation at ZNPP

The secretariat of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has proposed to change the order of rotation of specialists at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant (ZNPP) less than two days in advance. This was stated by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova on February 5.

The diplomat stressed that the new conditions created increased risks for the Russian military and employees of the organization.

Earlier on Wednesday, it was reported that the agency's management had to postpone the rotation of personnel at ZNPP due to the fact that the Ukrainian side tried to put forward new requirements "beyond the established practice."

"The Russian Federation provided security guarantees in advance to the specialists of the Agency's Secretariat and their accompanying persons with a description of a specific rotation scheme. However, less than two days before it began, the IAEA Secretariat proposed to change the previously agreed and repeatedly tested procedure for crossing the line of contact," the agency's website quoted Zakharova as saying.

She added that after Moscow proposed not to change the format of the rotation, taking into account the experience of provocations of the Kiev regime, the IAEA reported its cancelation.

At the same time, the Russian side will continue to work with the leadership of the agency, she concluded.

Earlier in the day it became known that the Director General of the state corporation "Rosatom" Alexei Likhachev and IAEA head Rafael Grossi will meet in Moscow on February 7. It was reported that after the meeting Likhachev and Grossi will answer questions from journalists.

Grossi said on January 23 that the nuclear safety situation at ZNPP is not improving, and the IAEA mission is far from being completed. The head of the agency recalled that inspectors who are at the plant have heard frequent explosions outside the plant, and this indicates a "continuing threat to nuclear safety."

Zaporizhzhya region, where the nuclear power plant is located, became part of the Russian Federation following a referendum in September 2022. Since then, Zaporizhzhya NPP has been under constant IAEA supervision.