Nuclear rotation: why the AFU disrupted the change of IAEA experts at Zaporizhzhya NPP

The Ukrainian Armed Forces have shelled IAEA experts during a planned rotation at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant in order to disrupt or make possible peace talks as difficult as possible, experts interviewed by Izvestiya have said. According to them, even their beginning would mean the end of Zelensky's regime in Ukraine. The Russian Defense Ministry said that the Russian army ensured a "regime of silence" in the rotation zone, while the Ukrainian side carried out 12 attacks that damaged vehicles in a convoy with representatives of an international organization.

Shelling of a convoy carrying IAEA experts

The Ukrainian armed forces shelled a convoy with IAEA experts, which led to the disruption of the planned rotation at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant. This was reported by the Russian Defense Ministry on February 13, publishing objective control footage.

At 8:45 a.m. on February 12, the convoy of vehicles of the working group of the Russian Defense Ministry heading for the rotation of IAEA experts at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant arrived at the meeting place agreed with the Ukrainian side near the village of Kamenskoye and was 2.4 km south of the immediate meeting place.

From 8.50 to 9.55 the Russian engineering reconnaissance unit inspected the road and the meeting place.

At 9.30, a Ukrainian convoy with a group of incoming IAEA experts was stopped by AFU representatives 25 kilometers from the meeting site near Novoaleksandrovka, allegedly because of shelling of the experts' meeting site.

At 10.20, when the Russian convoy was approaching the meeting place of the IAEA experts, the enemy shelled it with mortars (one burst).

At 11.15, the convoy was attacked by a Ukrainian FPV drone, which exploded at a distance of 10-20 meters from the lead vehicle.

At 12.45 minutes, the enemy began shelling the Russian convoy - a total of six bursts (four artillery and two mortars).

At 12.56 p.m., due to the inability to provide security for the IAEA experts, the Russian convoy began to move backwards.

At 13.05, at the entrance to Vasilievka, the Russian convoy was once again attacked by four FPV drones.

In total, the enemy "made 12 attacks" on the convoy of vehicles of the Russian Defense Ministry's working group providing the meeting and security of IAEA experts (four artillery, three mortar, five FPV drones).

- The disruption of the rotation of IAEA experts occurred solely because of the deliberate actions of the Ukrainian side. For its part, the Russian military department has fully fulfilled all obligations to ensure security and create a "regime of silence" in the area of the IAEA experts' rotation," the Russian Defense Ministry said.

In her turn, the Russian Foreign Ministry's official representative, Maria Zakharova, said that by such actions Ukraine had shown its terrorist nature and lack of commitment.

- Russian servicemen waited for several hours for IAEA experts at the agreed place under the threat of shelling, but the experts did not show up. In this connection, a decision was made to recall the Russian group of military personnel who were providing the rotation," she said.

IAEA head Rafael Grossi confirmed the failed attempt to rotate IAEA inspectors to the ZNPP due to the shelling of the convoy and noted that he considered it unacceptable.

To divert attention from the negotiations

There is likely to be no condemnation of the incident from the West, Australian political scientist Mark Lowe told Izvestia.

- The main thing for Zelensky's regime is to do everything possible to save itself," he said. - All they dream of is to survive. And if that requires blowing up a nuclear reactor, they don't care. You can see the large number of people who have been lost. And he keeps throwing more and more into the fire. He doesn't want to negotiate, that's the reason.

Therefore, it is important for them to divert attention from the conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump, Mark Lowe said.

Ukraine is simply mocking the IAEA, military expert Viktor Litovkin told Izvestia.

- Specialists of this organization cannot determine and officially declare who is shelling the ZNPP, thus playing along with the AFU. The Ukrainian side apparently started shelling them in gratitude," Viktor Litovkin explained.

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He reminded that Grossi always says that he has no idea from which side the shelling of ZNPP is coming from, as he has no ballistics experts in his organization.

- Taking advantage of this position, it seems that the enemy will try to prove that the strike on the convoy with experts was carried out by the Russian side, - said Viktor Litovkin. He believes that the shelling of ZNPP will continue in order to show Russia's alleged inability to protect the nuclear plant.

Oleg Zheltonozhko, an expert on nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, believes that the consequences of the shelling and possible destruction of the nuclear power plant could be serious - among them, contamination of the area and damage to the health of people living there.

- Over the past few years it has become obvious that official Kiev does not care about people at all," he said. - Shelling is going on all the time. There have also been attempts to land paratroopers, air strikes with the help of UAVs. Now the station is controlled by Russia, so we will be responsible for all the consequences. The enemies will not publicize their actions in order to shift all the blame on the Russians.

According to the expert, Russia has already taken all precautions.

- The nuclear plant has been shut down," he said. - That is, the equipment continues to work, but the reactors are in cold shutdown mode. That means the nuclear reaction has stopped, which reduces the possible consequences of strikes. But that is all that can be done.

Attacks on ZNPP

ZNPP is constantly subjected to shelling by the AFU. One of the most massive occurred on August 11, 2024. As a result, a fire broke out on the territory of the plant, there was serious damage to the structures responsible for cooling water.

According to the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Zaporizhzhya region, as a result of the Ukrainian drone attack, the non-functioning cooling tower No. 1 was damaged. The main task of this device was to cool large volumes of water in the recycling water supply system of the reactor turbine.

At the time, IAEA head Rafael Grossi said that this did not affect nuclear safety, but the firings increase the risk of a nuclear disaster and should stop immediately. Rosatom called Kiev's actions a fact of nuclear terrorism.