New images show prisoner cages being erected in Mariupol concert hall
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Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which is occupied by Russian forces, was disconnected from the power grid for the first time in its history on Thursday, according to the country’s nuclear operator.
The last remaining operational power line of the plant was restored after disconnecting twice due to fires nearby, the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog said, but the plant currently remains cut off from Ukraine’s energy grid.
Concerns are growing over the planned trials of POWs in Russian-occupied Mariupol. The US State Department described them as “show trials,” while Russia said the US was making “groundless accusations.”
Ukrainian officials said at least 25 people were killed in a Russian attack on a train station on Wednesday, which marked Ukrainian independence day and exactly six months since the start of Russia’s invasion.
It's nighttime in Kyiv. Catch up on the top headlines.
From CNN staff
Tensions continue to rise over concerns at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Both Ukraine and Russia have blamed each other for security and military action at and around the plant. The lack of independent access to the plant has made it impossible to verify what is happening on the ground there.
Here are the the top headlines to know:
Power at Zaporizhzhia: The plant’s last remaining external power line disconnected twice due to fires nearby on Thursday, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Now the nuclear watchdog says power supply has been restored, but two nuclear reactors “remain disconnected from the grid.”
Preventative action: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said backup diesel generators were activated during the outage to avert a “radiation disaster” at the power plant.
Threat of a “nuclear incident”: A top US State Department official warned that Russia’s actions at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant have increased risks of possible nuclear radiation release — calling for an end to military activities in the area.
Possible IAEA visit to Zaporizhzhiat: Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), told French channel France 24 he might soon be able to visit Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, currently under Russian control. An agreement with Russia is “very, very close,” Grossi said.
Russian forces target Kyiv region: Two Russian rockets hit communities near Ukraine’s capital Kyiv overnight into Thursday, according to Oleksiy Kuleba, head of Kyiv’s regional state administration. No injuries or infrastructure damage were reported.
Biden-Zelensky call: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke with US President Joe Biden on Thursday by telephone, according to the presidential office of Ukraine, and thanked him for the latest round of US security assistance. Additionally, both leaders “concurred on the need” to return the control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant to Ukraine, and for the occupying Russian forces to allow access by the IAEA.
New shipping route: The Joint Coordination Center (JCC) announced in a statement a new shipping route under the Black Sea Grain Initiative that will come into effect on Friday. The JCC — which has representatives of Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the United Nations — was one of the key creations of the grain deal agreed between Russia and Ukraine brokered by the UN and Turkey.
Attacks on civilians: The United Nations called on all parties to “spare civilians” after recent shelling on several cities. Ukrainian officials said at least 25 people were killed in the Russian attack on the Chaplyne train station on Wednesday.
Putin decree: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday signed a decree to increase the size of Russia’s armed forces from about 1.9 million to 2.04 million. According to a decree published on the Russian portal of legal information, the number of military personnel will increase to 1.15 million, adding 137,000 service personnel.
Here’s a look at the areas under Russian control:
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Zelensky: Emergency diesel generators were activated at Zaporizhzhia plant to avoid "radiation disaster"
From CNN's Amy Cassidy, Bex Wright and Jonny Hallam
Backup diesel generators were “immediately activated” at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant on Thursday to avert a “radiation disaster,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
“Today, for the first time in history, the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant stopped,” Zelensky said in his nightly address Thursday.
CNN is unable to verify who is responsible for the shelling, as both sides have accused the other.
There were originally four power lines supplying electricity to the plant, three were out of action due to the ongoing fighting around the facility. The last remaining power line supplying electricity to the plant went offline today, requiring the diesel generators to be used. The power on the last remaining line has since been restored as of Thursday evening.
“The world must understand what a threat this is: If the diesel generators hadn’t turned on, if the automation and our staff of the plant had not reacted after the blackout, then we would already be forced to overcome the consequences of the radiation accident,” Zelensky said.
The generators are installed to supply power to cooling pumps to stop the fuel from overheating in the event of a blackout, but are not fully reliable, the CEO of Energoatom, Ukraine’s state energy operator, Petro Kotin, told CNN on Monday.
“Russia has put Ukraine and all Europeans in a situation one step away from a radiation disaster,” Zelensky alleged.
The International Atomic Energy Agency and other international bodies “must work much faster than they’re acting now” he said, “because every minute the Russian troops stay at the nuclear power plant is a risk of a global radiation disaster.”
More background: The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is currently not supplying electricity to Ukraine — it is off the grid — however, the reactors need to continue to receive electricity so they can safely operate and avoid a nuclear accident.
The reactors must have backup power supplies so that the systems that provide cooling for spent fuel elements and cooling of residual heat produced in shut down reactors continue to work safely. The electricity to the plant is also needed for maintaining services such as lighting, and ventilation to the reactor.
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New shipping route announced for Black Sea Grain Initiative from Ukrainian ports
From CNN's Sahar Akbarzai and Jomana Karadsheh
The MV Ramus vessel carrying 6,161 tons of wheat from Ukraine is seen anchored in the Marmara sea ahead of an inspection by representatives working for the Joint Coordination Centre on August 18, in Istanbul, Turkey.
(Chris McGrath/Getty Images/FILE)
The Joint Coordination Center (JCC) announced in a statement a new shipping route under the Black Sea Grain Initiative that will come into effect on Friday.
The JCC — which has representatives of Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the United Nations — was one of the key creations of the grain deal agreed between Russia and Ukraine brokered by the UN and Turkey.
The new shipping route is 320 nautical miles long, and “it allows for shorter transit in the maritime humanitarian corridor and easier planning for the shipping industry,” according to the statement.
The route is intended for “merchant vessels going in and departing from the three Ukrainian ports of Odesa, Chornomorsk, Pivdennyi/Yuzhny,” and it connects the ports to inspections areas inside Turkish waters, the statement added. No military ship, aircraft or drone can approach a vessel going through the corridor within a radius of 10 nautical miles.
As of last week, about 27 ships loaded with grain have left Ukraine’s Black Sea ports since Aug. 1, according to Turkey. More than 650,000 metric tons of grain and other food have gone to markets around the world, according to UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
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Ukraine's Zelensky thanks US for "unprecedented assistance" in phone call with Biden
From CNN’s Victoria Butenko and Amy Cassidy
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke with US President Joe Biden on Thursday by telephone, according to the presidential office of Ukraine.
Zelensky expressed his “gratitude” for the latest $6 billion package of security and financial assistance the US committed to Ukraine on Wednesday, calling it “the best gift for Ukraine on its Independence Day,” according to Ukraine’s official read out of the call.
According to the read out of the call, that assistance package includes $3 billion in defense aid, and an additional $3 billion of financial aid.
The new aid package includes NASAMS anti-aircraft missile systems for which Zelensky expressed a “particular gratitude.”
The US has shown “leadership” in providing further macro-financial support, Zelensky went on to say, with half the package (which adds up to $3 billion) to be channeled through the World Bank.
Additionally, both leaders “concurred on the need” to return the control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant to Ukraine, and for the occupying Russian forces to allow access by the International Atomic Energy Agency.
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US State Department: Any attempt to disconnect Zaporizhzhia plant from Ukrainian power grid is "unacceptable"
From CNN's Jennifer Hansler
The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is seen outside of Enerhodar, Ukraine, on August 22.
(Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters)
The US State Department’s principal deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said Thursday that any attempt to disconnect the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant from the Ukrainian power grid and redirect it to Russian-occupied areas is “unacceptable.”
“No country should turn a nuclear power plant into an active war zone, and we oppose any Russian efforts to weaponize or divert energy from the plant,” he continued. “To be very clear, ZNPP and the electricity that it produces rightly belongs to Ukraine.”
Patel said the United States is “closely monitoring the reports the last two operational reactors that ZNPP has been shut down,” and noted that “Ukraine is reporting that all the plant’s safety and security systems are working normally and we have no indication of increased or abnormal radiation levels.”
The International Atomic Energy Agency said the power supply from the Russian-occupied plant has been restored, but it currently remains disconnected from Ukraine’s energy grid.
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Power supply from Zaporizhzhia plant is restored but remains disconnected from grid, UN nuclear watchdog says
From CNN’s Amy Cassidy in London
The power supply from the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has been restored, the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog said Thursday, but it currently remains disconnected from Ukraine’s energy grid.
In a statement, the International Atomic Energy Agency said it had been informed by the Ukrainian government that the plant’s last remaining operational 750 kV external power line is back up and running after disconnecting twice due to fires nearby. This would confirm an earlier statement from the Russian-installed governor of the occupied Zaporizhzhia areas.
However, the two remaining operational nuclear reactors “remained disconnected from the grid” after the power line was restored, Ukraine said, according to the IAEA.
The Russian-installed governor, Yevhen Balytskyi, earlier claimed: “Immediately after the fire was extinguished, one unit was put into operation. Work was underway to restore the power supply to the region and launch the second power unit.”
“There was no information immediately available on the direct cause of the power cuts,” the IAEA said.
“The six-reactor ZNPP normally has four external power lines, but three of them were lost earlier during the conflict,” it added.
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Biden reiterated support for Ukraine in call with Zelensky, according to White House
From CNN's Sam Fossum and Betsy Klein
US President Joe Biden restated his support for Ukraine in a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday and congratulated the country after it commemorated its Independence Day on Wednesday, according to White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
While not delving into any details, Jean-Pierre noted that Biden and Zelensky did discuss the situation at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, reiterating the administration’s position that the area should not be an active war zone.
A senior administration official also told CNN that the administration is “closely monitoring” the situation and that the plant and its power belongs to Ukraine, condemning any attempts to redirect power from the plant.
She noted a more detailed readout of the call would come later today.
Zelensky also tweeted about the call:
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UN calls on all parties to "spare civilians" after recent Russian strikes across several Ukrainian cities
From CNN’s Richard Roth
The United Nations on Thursday called on all parties to ”respect their obligations under international humanitarian law and take constant care to spare civilians and civilian infrastructure,” following recent shelling on several cities in Ukraine, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said.
Ukrainian officials said at least 25 people were killed in the Russian attack on the Chaplyne train station on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Dujarric said that UN Humanitarian Coordinator Denise Brown “has started a three-day mission to eastern and central Ukraine to see first-hand the humanitarian impact of the war and efforts undertaken by humanitarian organizations in the country to support the people affected.”
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Satellite images show fires and smoke around Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant
From CNN's Paul P. Murphy
The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is seen at 10:39 a.m. local time on Aug. 24.
(Planet Labs)
A series of satellite images, from Planet Labs and the European Space Agency, show a fire and smoke near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Enerhodar, Ukraine.
The three satellite images — which were taken on Aug. 24 at 10:39 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 11:35 a.m. local time — show a rare sequential glimpse of a fire growing toward the south of the plant, and smoke rising from an ash pit located in the northern section of the complex.
The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is seen at 11:30 a.m. local time on Aug. 24.
(Planet Labs)
The plant, which is held by Russian forces, was completely disconnected from the power grid for the first time in its history on Thursday, according to the country’s nuclear operator.
The complex was disconnected due to fires at nearby ash pits, causing the last remaining power line connecting to Ukraine’s energy grid to disconnect twice, Energoatom said in a statement.
The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is seen at 11:35 a.m. local time on Aug. 24.
(European Space Agency)
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Analysis: A grim winter will test Western unity against Russia's war in Ukraine amid energy concerns
Analysis from CNN's Luke McGee
The West’s response through six months of Russia’s war in Ukraine has remained strong and largely united — to the surprise of many.
The trans-Atlantic alliance managed to pull together to provide financial and weapons support to Kyiv, reach agreements to stop using Russian energy, and implement sanctions designed to hit President Vladimir Putin and his cronies.
However, as the war reaches its half-year mark, officials across Europe are worried the consensus could fall apart as the continent enters a bleak winter of rising food prices, limited energy to heat homes and the real possibility of recession.
Western officials and diplomats spoke to CNN on the condition of anonymity to candidly describe sensitive conservations among governments.
In a possible taste of more draconian measures to come, Berlin turned off the lights illuminating German monuments in order to save electricity, while French shops have been told to keep their doors shut while the air conditioning is on, or else face a fine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has captured the West’s imagination and put heat on countries to support his war effort, might find it harder to get the attention of his fellow European leaders as the conflict drags on.
European countries also have a thirst for Russian oil, with almost half of Russian oil exports going to the continent. The EU reportedly imported 2.2 million barrels of crude oil per day in 2021.
“Within the European Union, it will be very difficult and we must try to stick to our promise to cut off Russia when it comes to any profits from gas and other sources,” according to a senior European diplomat, referring to a deal struck between the EU member states to cut their use of Russian gas by 15%.
However, the agreement has been criticized for being voluntary, and officials fear that when push comes to shove, some EU countries simply won’t play their part.
Russian actions at Zaporizhzhia "have created a serious risk of a nuclear incident," US official says
From CNN's Jennifer Hansler
The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is seen outside of Enerhodar, Ukraine, on August 22.
(Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters)
A top US State Department official on Thursday warned that Russia’s actions at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant have increased risks of possible nuclear radiation release.
Russia has “created a serious risk of a nuclear incident, a dangerous radiation release that could threaten not only the people and environment of Ukraine, but also affect neighboring countries and the entire international community,” Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Bonnie Jenkins said.
Jenkins reiterated calls for Russia to cease its military activities around the plant. She also stressed the importance of the International Atomic Energy Agency being able to visit and inspect the facility. She did not provide any details on that visit, which the agency’s head on Thursday described as “imminent.”
Jenkins told reporters on a briefing call that she was unable to confirm reports that the plant had been disconnected from the grid, but said “we are very concerned about turning off any of the other power plants; we are very concerned about any of the activities that are taking place, particularly since we do not have adequate access to see what is actually taking place and what can be the immediate impact of what’s going on there.”
Earlier Thursday, the last power line at the plant was disconnected twice, according to the state nuclear regulator in Ukraine. The Russian-installed governor of occupied areas of Zaporizhzhia said that the power supply to all cities and districts of the Zaporizhzhia region had been restored after earlier disruptions.
Jenkins would not say whether there were discussions taking place on how to mitigate a potential nuclear catastrophe at the plant.
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Ukrainian nuclear operator chief explains why the last line of the Zaporizhzhia power plant is critical
From CNN's Sam Kiley and Bex Wright
Intensified shelling around Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant — Europe’s largest — has sparked concerns around the world, prompting a demand for damage assessment on the site.
Normally, the plant has four lines that connect it to the Ukrainian power system, but three of them were damaged and only one remains, according to Energoatom CEO Petro Kotin, who spoke to CNN on Monday. Energoatom is a Ukrainian state enterprise operating all four nuclear power stations in Ukraine.
This establishes how critical that last power line and its operation is.
So it concerning when Ukrainian nuclear authorities claimed that the last power line was disconnected twice on Thursday. It has now been restored according a Russian-backed official.
Remember: CNN spoke to Kotin on Monday, prior to the reports of the last line being disconnected twice.
Kotin explained that there are diesel generators as backup to cool the fuel and keep things operational, but there are caveats to using that backup for an indefinite time. Kotin called this a “dangerous” situation to be in.
“Reliability questions could be an issue … because in this case, they could be required to work for an indefinite time, and they have limited capacity to constantly be in work mode,” he added.
The damaged lines cannot be restored or maintained at the moment because the location is under constant fire and that could put the workers’ lives in danger, Kotin noted.
He claimed that Russians are disconnecting the remaining line from the Ukrainian power system “intentionally,” and alleged that their aim is to “reconnect it to Russian system.”
However, that won’t be possible without a full shutdown of the plant and a full cut of all lines which are connected to the Ukrainian system, he said.
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Putin signs decree to increase military staff
From CNN's Uliana Pavlova
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends the main naval parade marking Russian Navy Day in St. Petersburg on July 31.
(Olga Maltseva/AFP/Getty Images/File)
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday signed a decree to increase the size of Russia’s armed forces from about 1.9 million to 2.04 million.
According to a decree published on the Russian portal of legal information, the number of military personnel will increase to 1.15 million, adding 137,000 service personnel.
The decree will come into force Jan. 1, 2023.
According to the previous decree from Nov. 17, 2017, Russian troops numbered 1,902,758, including 1,013,628 service personnel.
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Power supply from Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant has been restored, Russian-backed official says
From CNN's Petro Zadorozhnyy and Tim Lister
Power supply to all cities and districts of the Zaporizhzhia region has been restored after earlier disruptions, according to the Russian-installed governor of occupied areas of Zaporizhzhia.
“As a result of a strike by the armed formations of Ukraine on power lines in the area of the Zaporizhzhia NPP, the territory of the security zone of the 750 kV overhead line caught fire. The fire was provoked by a short circuit on power lines,” Yevhen Balytskyi claimed.
“The relay emergency protection of ZNPP worked, two power units were turned off, after which the Zaporizhzhia region was left without power supply,” he added.
“Immediately after the fire was extinguished, one unit was put into operation. Work was underway to restore the power supply to the region and launch the second power unit,” he explained.
Last power line at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant twice disconnected on Thursday, Ukraine authorities say
From CNN's Tim Lister, Julia Kesaieva, Uliana Pavlova, Olga Voitovych and Petro Zadorozhnyy
The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, outside the Russian-controlled city of Enerhodar, Ukraine, on August 22.
(Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters)
A power line from the nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhia was disconnected as a result of hostilities in the area, the state nuclear regulator in Ukraine said.
As a result, one of the nuclear power units at the plant had also been disconnected, according to the State Inspection of Nuclear Regulation, which quoted the nuclear operator Energoatom.
After being restored once, the 750 kV “Dniprovska” overhead line was disconnected again, the regulator said in a Telegram post, adding that this also affected the second power unit again due to “the subsequent tripping of the emergency protection.”
Energoatom also posted on its Telegram channel, confirming that the “750 kV ZNPP - “Dniprovska” overhead line - was disconnected twice.”
It is unclear whether there is currently any disruption to the power supply at the plant. CNN has previously been told that there are 18 diesel generators at the plant as back-up sources of power to the reactors.
Satellite view of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, on August 13.
(Planet Labs PBC/Reuters)
The Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported there had been “a short circuit in the network after shelling by Ukrainian troops and fires in Enerhodar [which] caused a blackout in the Zaporizhzhia region.”
CNN has confirmed the disruption of electricity supplies to Melitopol, which is Russian occupied territory.
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France reiterates support for UN agency mission to Zaporizhzhia plant "as soon as possible"
From CNN’s Xiaofei Xu and Pierre Bairin in Paris
French President Emmanuel Macron, second right, attends a meeting with the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi, second left, at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, on August 25.
(Alain Jocard/Reuters)
French President Emmanuel Macron restated France’s support for sending an expert group from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant during his meeting with IAEA chief Rafael Grossi, the Élysée Palace said in a statement Thursday.
“The President of the Republic reiterated his support for the deployment of an IAEA expert mission to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant as soon as possible to address nuclear safety and security issues and safeguards, while respecting Ukraine’s full sovereignty over its territory and infrastructure,” the Élysée said.
The French president praised Grossi’s efforts in the past few months to ensure the security of nuclear power plants in Ukraine. His comments also come after shelling intensified around the massive Zaporizhzhia plant, Europe’s largest, which has been under Russian control since March.
CNN previously reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed for a mission from the IAEA to access the plant via territory controlled by Ukrainian forces during a call with Macron last week, according to a source from the Élysée Palace.
Some context: Both Ukraine and Russia have blamed each other for security and military action at and around the plant. The lack of independent access to the plant makes it impossible to verify what is happening there. Over the past month, a number of rockets and shells have landed on the territory of the plant, according to satellite imagery analyzed by CNN.
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It's mid-afternoon in Kyiv. Here's what you need to know.
International inspectors are close to agreeing a deal with Russia to visit the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, while concern is growing over planned trials of Ukrainian prisoners of war in the occupied city of Mariupol.
Here are the latest headlines:
IAEA near Zaporizhzhia visit: Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), told French channel France 24 he might soon be able to visit Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, currently under Russian control. An agreement with Russia is “very, very close,” said Grossi.
Worries over POW trials: There are growing concerns over the scheduled trials of Ukrainian POWs in Mariupol. Denis Pushilin, leader of the self-declared Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), said that the trials will include soldiers from Ukraine’s “regular army” as well as members of the Azov Regiment.
Russia-linked building targeted: Ivan Fedorov, mayor of the Russian-occupied city of Melitopol, has posted video of damage to a building allegedly used by Russian-backed officials in the region. “Tonight, the headquarters of the occupiers in the village of Pryazovske was blown up,” Fedorov said on Telegram.
Russian forces target Kyiv region: Two Russian rockets hit communities near Ukraine’s capital Kyiv overnight into Thursday, according to Oleksiy Kuleba, head of Kyiv’s regional state administration. No injuries or infrastructure damage were reported.
Railway station death toll increases: The number of casualties in a Russian attack on a train station in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region on Wednesday has risen to 25. Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of the President’s office said search and rescue operations has been completed at the station in the village of Chaplyne.
Biden and Zelensky to speak: US President Joe Biden will speak Thursday with Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky to update him on US arms shipments and congratulate him on Ukrainian independence day, according to the White House.
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Russia claims attack on Chaplyne train station killed 200 Ukrainian soldiers
From CNN's Uliana Pavlova, Tim Lister and Radina Gigova
A missile strike on a train station in Chaplyne, in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region, killed more than 200 Ukrainian servicemembers and destroyed 10 equipment units, according to Russia’s Ministry of Defense.
CNN cannot independently verify accounts of the strikes referenced by the ministry.
“As a result of a direct hit by an Iskander missile on a military echelon at the Chaplyne railway station in the Dnepropetrovsk region, 200 employees of the reserve of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and 10 units of military equipment were destroyed on its way to Donbas,” Russia’s Ministry of Defense said in a statement published Thursday.
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IAEA "very, very close" to agreement with Russia over visit to Zaporizhzhia
From CNN’s Renée Bertini in Paris
Director General of IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) Rafael Mariano Grossi press briefing at UN Headquarters in New York, U.S, on August 2.
Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), told French channel France 24 he might soon be able to visit Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, currently under Russian control.
“We are very, very close to that [an agreement with Russia],” Grossi said Thursday.
Earlier today, Grossi met with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris.
The French and Russian defense ministers also talked about the nuclear power plant on the phone the same day, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.
