ISW: Russia attempts to delay nuclear watchdog's mission to Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant

Russia has further begun to implement strategies similar to those used by Iran in an attempt to manipulate and possibly delay an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) mission to the plant in the near future.

The IAEA had assembled a mission consisting of IAEA Chief Rafael Mariano Grossi and 13 experts from “mostly neutral countries” to visit Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant for observation next week, The US-based think-tank Institute for the Study of War reported on August 28.

The list notably excludes the United States and the United Kingdom, which Russia views as unfairly biased.

The IAEA stated that the IAEA remained in active consultations for an upcoming mission.

Ukrainian official sources have reported that Russian special forces are torturing Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant employees to prevent them from disclosing safety violations to IAEA inspectors, that Russian authorities are attempting to limit the presence of Ukrainian employees at the plant, and that occupation authorities have begun collecting signatures from Enerhodar residents demanding an end to Ukrainian shelling to present to inspectors.

Manipulation of the nationality of inspectors and attacks on the “fairness” of IAEA inspections are tactics that Iran has long used to obfuscate its obstruction of IAEA inspections.