The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is "unable and has insufficient powers" to stop the shelling of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant.

This was stated by the acting governor of the Russian-occupied Zaporozhye region, Yevgeny Balitsky.

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He assured that Russia had "high hopes" for the IAEA mission, but the agency had not been able to resolve problems related to the safety of the facility.

Balitsky stressed that Ukraine will never regain control of the plant and that it will "work in the interest of Russia".

Meanwhile, earlier today IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi arrived in Moscow for a new round of talks to establish a security zone around the nuclear facility as the war in Ukraine continues.

For its part, the Russian state nuclear company Rosatom said that talks with Grossi will continue, Reuters reports.

In "Telegram", the company announced that "approaches to creating a zone for nuclear and physical security at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant were discussed" and that there is "significant proximity" between the positions of the two countries.

It added that negotiations would continue based on "the understanding of the need to reach a mutually acceptable text as soon as possible".

The head of the IAEA goes to Moscow, will discuss a security zone around the Zaporozhye NPP

The Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, located in the city of Energodar, is the largest in Europe.

It is located in the southern Zaporozhye region, much of which is under the control of Russian forces and which earlier this month was declared part of Russia by Russian President Vladimir Putin, along with three other partially occupied regions.

Russian forces seized the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in March, a month after launching their full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The IAEA has repeatedly called for a security zone around the facility.

In early September, the headquarters was visited by an IAEA mission led by Grossi.

After the delegation left the site, agency officials remained there as observers.

The IAEA subsequently published a report calling for the creation of a security zone around the headquarters to prevent emergencies due to hostilities.

Ukraine and Russia have accused each other of shelling the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, raising fears of a nuclear disaster more than three decades after the world's worst nuclear accident, which occurred at Chernobyl, also in Ukraine.

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Zaporizhzhia NPP