Experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) based at the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine have yet to observe any indications of mines or explosives at the plant, but they need more access to be sure, the agency said on Wednesday, according to Reuters.
IAEA experts "have in recent days and weeks inspected parts of the facility - including some sections of the perimeter of the large cooling pond - and have also conducted regular walkdowns across the site, so far without observing any visible indications of mines or explosives," an IAEA statement said.
"The IAEA experts have requested additional access that is necessary to confirm the absence of mines or explosives. In particular, access to the rooftops of reactor units 3 and 4 is essential, as well as access to parts of the turbine halls and some parts of the cooling system at the plant," it added.
The statement comes a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron that Russia was planning "dangerous provocations" at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
Kyiv and Moscow had previously traded accusations of preparing an incident at the plant, which is Europe's largest.
A statement issued by the Ukrainian armed forces on Tuesday quoted "operational data" as saying that "explosive devices" had been placed on the roofs of those two reactor units.
In an evening address, Zelenskyy said Russia had "installed objects similar to explosives" on the plant, according to Ukrainian intelligence.
"Perhaps to simulate the hit on the plant. Maybe they have some other scenario. But in any case, the world sees it," he said, before warning, "Radiation is a threat to everyone in the world."
The Zaporizhzhia complex has been occupied by Russian forces and operated by Ukrainian workers since the early days of the war.
Russia and Ukraine have long accused each other of shelling the nuclear installation, sparking fears of a nuclear accident.
The British Ministry of Defense said in April that satellite footage from March showed Russia had set up "sandbag fighting positions on the roofs of several of the six reactor buildings" at the plant.
It was not clear from the IAEA statement why the agency wanted access to those two reactor units' rooftops.