MOSCOW, February 13. /TASS/. The Russian Defense Ministry has published a video that confirms Kiev's use of attack drones and artillery on a convoy with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts to disrupt the rotation at the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP).
"The Russian Defense Ministry has released a video confirming the use by the Kiev regime on February 12 of attack drones and artillery on the convoy with IAEA experts in order to disrupt the planned rotation at the ZNPP," the ministry said in a statement.
According to it, the enemy launched 12 attacks on the convoy of cars with the servicemen of the Russian Defense Ministry, meeting and providing security of the agency's experts. The vehicles were damaged as a result of the shelling.
Thus, at 5:45 GMT on February 12, the convoy arrived at the meeting point agreed with Kiev in the area of Kamenskoye and was 2.4 kilometers south of the place of the direct meeting with the IAEA experts. Within about an hour thereafter, the technical reconnaissance unit, which is part of the group, checked the security of the road section and the meeting place. At 7:05 GMT, the convoy proceeded to the meeting point. At 6:30 GMT, the Ukrainian armed forces stopped the Ukrainian convoy with a group of IAEA experts, citing the alleged shelling of the place where the experts were being transferred.
The first attack on the Russian convoy was carried out by a mortar at 7:20 GMT, and then by an FPV drone at 8:15 GMT. At 9:45 GMT, artillery shelling of the convoy began: two mortar and four artillery shells were fired. Ten minutes later it was decided to return the Russian Defense Ministry working group. At the entrance to Vasiliyevka (a settlement 44 kilometers south of Zaporozhye) at 10:05 GMT, the Russian convoy was attacked by four drones.
The Russian Defense Ministry pointed out that the disruption of the rotation of IAEA experts at the ZNPP was caused solely by the actions of the Ukrainian side, while Russia had fulfilled all its obligations to ensure the safety of nuclear experts.