Russia will allow UN inspectors at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that his country's forces would allow United Nations officials to visit and inspect Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, which has been occupied by Russian troops since the early days of the invasion.

According to BBC, Putin made his announcement following a call with French President Emmanuel Macron.

Zaporizhzhia has attracted international attention in recent weeks after Russia began using the plant as a base from which to launch missile strikes at neighboring cities. Each side has blamed the other for explosions at the facility. The Washington Post reports that some families living near the plant have begun to evacuate the area.

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In his nightly address Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed optimism about the inspection while continuing to condemn Russia's actions at the plant. "If Russian blackmail with radiation continues, this summer may go down in the history of various European countries as one of the most tragic of all time," he said.

United Nations Secretary General António Guterres has warned that "[a]ny potential damage to Zaporizhzhia is suicide."