Russian occupiers are preventing Zaporizhia nuclear power unit No. 5 from being put into cold shutdown, which is the only one of the plant's six power units in a hot shutdown, the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine has said.

"The Russian occupiers do not allow the Ukrainian personnel of the Zaporizhia NPP to switch power unit No. 5 to a cold shutdown, as provided for by the order of the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate on June 8, 2023," the Inspectorate said on Facebook on Tuesday evening.

The issue was discussed at the weekly meeting of the IAEA Incident and Emergency Center (IEC) and the Inspectorate on Tuesday.

Acting Chairman of the Inspectorate Oleh Korikov called these actions unlawful and a gross violation of the legislation in the field of the use of nuclear energy by a "fake operating organization" (JSC created by the Russian Federation for the operation of the Zaporizhia NPP) and Russian military occupiers.

"I hope that during his next visit to the Zaporizhia NPP, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi will be able to influence the Russian occupiers and convince them of the need to transfer power unit No. 5 to a cold shutdown," Korikov said, calling the actions of the invaders another nuclear blackmail.

As the Inspectorate assured, IAEA specialists are also interested and note the importance of access to the Zaporizhia TPP, and its discharge channel, to the ZNPP cooling pond, to better assess the situation with the provision of the nuclear power plant with water reserves after the Russians blew up the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant and the associated spill of the Kakhovka reservoir from which the ZNPP cooling pond was fed.

As reported, the Inspectorate, by its order of June 8, limited the operation of power unit No. 5 of the Zaporizhia NPP, which is occupied by the Russian Federation, to a cold shutdown.