The UN's nuclear watchdog inspected the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant on Friday for the second day in a row to ascertain the safety of the site and prevent potential disaster.
Although the Kremlin says it is 'very positive' that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) mission is visiting the plant, Ukraine's nuclear state company Energoatom has been sceptical of what the atomic expert team would be able uncover due to Russian interference.
"The Russians did not allow the mission to enter the crisis centre, where Russian military personnel are currently stationed, whom the IAEA representatives were not supposed to see," Energoatom said in a statement.
"The (Russian) occupiers lie, distort the facts and evidence that testify to their shelling of the power plant, as well as the consequences of damage to the infrastructure," Energoatom said.
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IAEA chief Rafael Grossi and his team spent hours at Europe's biggest nuclear plant on Thursday. After his first visit, Grossi said that plant's physical integrity had been violated several times and he was concerned about the situation, according to Reuters.
On Friday, Grossi announced that two experts from the UN agency will remain permanently on site at the nuclear power plant.
Shelling continues near the site
Fighting near the plant continues, as the UK's Ministry of Defence said on Friday that attacks are ongoing in southern Ukraine, including shelling in Enerhodar district, near the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
The site is just 10 kilometres from Ukrainian forces across the Dnipro river, but was seized by Russian troops shortly after they invaded Ukraine in February.
Recent shelling near the plant has raised fears of a potential nuclear disaster. The plant is still run by Ukrainian staff although Russia has refused to withdraw its military from the site.
Before Russia's invasion, the plant supplied Ukraine with a fifth of its electricity.
