Leaked footage inside Europe's largest nuke plant reveals Russian ‘Z’ trucks ‘just metres from reactors’ | The Sun

LEAKED footage from inside Europe's largest nuclear power plant shows Russian 'Z' trucks parked up just metres from the plant's reactors.

The video, sneaked out by Russian media outlet Izvestiya, was taken during today's tour of the Ukrainian plant by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors.

In the short clip, two men in navy blue IAEA-branded sleeveless jackets walk through Russian-held Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, one with a clipboard in hand.

They pass several Russian military trucks with the distinctive 'Z' painted on them.

A couple of armed Russian soldiers watch the men as they pass.

It isn't clear who filmed the footage.

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Today's footage appears to show the same 'Z' trucks pictured inside the nuclear plant last month.

The IAEA's Director General Rafael Grossi was part of the delegation that visited the plant today.

Speaking earlier today, Grossi told Russian media he had seen what he "needed to see" during his visit.

In a video posted on his Twitter account, Grossi said he had completed a tour of the "key areas" that the IAEA wanted to see in this first approach.

"Of course, there's a lot more to do and my team is staying on. More importantly, the IAEA are establishing a continued presence at the plant."

Earlier in the day, footage emerged showing an explosion rocking a medical building in the town of Enerhodar, which lies just miles from the nuclear plant.

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It was not immediately what type of weapon was used or who was behind the attack.

Ukraine media blamed Russia for the strike, accusing the Kremlin of trying to hinder the IAEA's work at the plant.

Specialists from the Agency will remain at Zaporizhzhia until Saturday at the earliest, a local pro-Russian official announced today.

It comes after one of two operational reactors at the Russian-held nuclear plant complex was closed as shells also landed in a nearby town.

The facility was seized by Russian troops soon after they invaded and has remained on the front line ever since but fears it could be the scene of a catastrophic nuclear disaster are mounting.

The plant was disconnected from the grid for the first time ever last week after fire damage to overhead power lines, again from Russian shelling.

The Ukrainian operator of the site, Energoatom, said one of the two operational reactors have been shut down.

"As a result of another mortar shelling by Russian forces at the site of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the emergency protection was activated and the operational fifth power unit was shut down," it said.

Energoatom added that the other unit continues to provide energy for Ukraine and is also supplying electricity for the power plant's own needs.

There has been increased military activity, including this morning until very recently

Meanwhile, footage from the nearby town of Enerhodar shows explosions going off with the local mayor saying several civilians had been injured.

Russia claimed 60 Ukrainian troops crossed the Dnipro river, which divides territory held by the two sides, in boats at 6am in what it said was a "provocation" aimed at disrupting today's IAEA visit.

The Kremlin has called for a UN Security Council meeting on September 6 to address the situation at Zaporizhzhia.

It accuses Ukraine of engaging in a "reckless attempt" to "derail" the IAEA visit through attacks on the plant.

A local Ukrainian mayor earlier said the team of inspectors was unable to reach the plant after departing the city of Zaporizhzhia this morning due to Russian shelling along the pre-planned route. 

Footage released by Ukraine shows flames from shells exploding beside the road.

The IAEA confirmed its delegation was delayed for three hours on the Ukrainian-held side of the frontline.

Ukraine's nuclear energy operator Enerhoatom blamed Russian mortar shelling for leading to the shutdown of one of the plant's six reactors.

It said earlier on Thursday that Russian shelling also damaged a backup power supply line to the plant.

Mr Rossi said earlier: "There has been increased military activity, including this morning until very recently.

"But weighing the pros and cons and having come so far, we are not stopping."

Fears of a radiation leak have been growing and Energoatom said at the fire risk was also rising.

The plant requires power to run the reactors' vital cooling systems – and a loss of cooling could lead to a nuclear meltdown.

Many of the radiation fears centre on a possible loss of the cooling system – and the risk that an attack on the cooling ponds where spent fuel rods are kept could scatter radioactive material.

As fears of a radiation disaster loom, iodine tablets were issued in the Ukrainian-controlled city of Zaporizhzhia – about 27 miles from the site.

The pills help block the absorption of radioactive iodine by the thyroid gland in the case of a nuclear disaster.

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Ukraine knows better than any other country on Earth the risks associated with nuclear power.

Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the north of the country exploded and went into meltdown while under Soviet control back in 1986.

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