IAEA spokesman: gunfire briefly halted convoy, but no immediate danger
4:34 pm Thursday, June 15th, 2023
(Reuters) – A spokesman for the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog said on Thursday that gunfire briefly halted a convoy heading back to Ukrainian-held territory after a visit to the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, but the delegation was in no immediate danger.
“Convoy was stopped and gunfire was distinctly heard for a few minutes but the convoy was not in immediate danger. The agency doesn’t have any other information about the incident,”
a spokesman for the International Atomic Energy Agency told Reuters.
Renat Karchaa, an adviser to the head of the Rosenergoatom company, was earlier cited by Tass news agency as accusing Ukraine of opening fire at the convoy, headed by IAEA General Director Rafael Grossi.
That report said no one was hurt and that the convoy had returned safely to the Ukrainian-held city of Zaporizhzhia.
The delegation had been visiting the Zaporizhzhia station, where Ukraine and Russia have accused each other of repeated shelling since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year that could compromise nuclear safety.
(Reporting by Ron Popeski; editing by Diane Craft)
