Russia on Thursday slammed as "lie" a claim by Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky that Moscow's forces were considering to carry out a "terrorist attack" at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (NPP).
"This is another lie. You know, there have just been contacts with the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) on the spot. A very high assessment (of Russia's actions at the plant) by the IAEA. They saw everything -- everything they wanted to see," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a press briefing in Moscow.
The spokesman emphasized that Moscow and the IAEA are determined to continue dialogue regarding the situation at the Russian-controlled plant, which is Europe's biggest nuclear facility.
"Contacts are planned in the very near future between (the IAEA Director General Rafael) Grossi and (Russian Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation head Alexey) Likhachev. Our dialogue and cooperation with the IAEA continues, and we are interested in continuing these contacts. And the IAEA is interested. Everything else is a lie," he stressed.
Earlier on Thursday, Zelensky said intelligence agencies had received information that the attack could involve a release of radiation.
Separately, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said the meeting between Grossi and Likhachev will take place on June 23 in the Russian city of Kaliningrad.
Grossi inspected the Zaporizhzhia NPP on June 15, after which he said the facility had taken the necessary measures to stabilize the situation after this month's breach at the Kakhovka dam, which provided the cooling water for the plant.
The plant has been under Russian control since its "special military operation" in Ukraine, launched in February last year. Since then, both Moscow and Kyiv have accused each other of shelling it.
