MOSCOW, August 18. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has slammed Kiev’s actions to derail International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi’s visit to the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) as another reckless step.

"We express our deep concern over the aggressive and malicious actions of the Kiev regime, which continues provocations against the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant, attacking the plant and its personnel almost daily, creating a real threat of a nuclear catastrophe in central Europe," she said in a statement. ""Another reckless move in this regard was Ukraine’s decision to derail IAEA Director General Grossi’s visit to the ZNPP and its satellite city of Energodar that was scheduled for August 20 and 21, which was intended to coincide with a regular rotation of the agency secretariat’s experts at the plant."

According to Zakharova, all details of Grossi’s visit were agreed upon with the IAEA. Thus, the Russian side provided all necessary security guarantees that fully satisfied the agency. However, Kiev cynically warned Grossi that his security cannot be guaranteed if he opts to reach the facility via Russia’s territory, she recalled.

"We view this as yet another Kiev regime’s self-incrimination. It makes no secret of its criminal intentions toward the leadership of one of the largest international organizations, effectively turning it into a target. Evidently, under these circumstances, Grossi was forced to cancel his visit," the Russian diplomat emphasized.

"Obviously, in the current circumstances, the Agency has no choice but to acknowledge that Ukraine is the source of threats to the ZNPP, something that the Russian side has for years been pointing out," she added.

She recalled that previously Kiev had repeatedly disrupted personnel rotations at the ZNPP, violated ceasefires that were declared to carry out repair works on energy infrastructure facilities crucially important for the plant’s safe operation, and it never hesitated to attack vehicles carrying representatives of the IAEA secretariat.

"There is no end to Kiev’s crimes. Thus, a public transport stop was attacked in Energodar early on August 18. One civilian died, 15 others were wounded," she noted, adding that none of this would have been possible without the constant political support provided by Western countries to Vladimnir Zelensky and his "gang, driven mad by a sense of their own impunity."

"This only pushed the Kiev regime toward further, even more reckless steps creating threats to nuclear security, which may have deplorable consequences for the entire world. All those who continue to ignore these actions by Ukraine and provide material and political support to Vladimir Zelensky's regime are its accomplices and share responsibility for its actions," she stressed.