MOSCOW, August 31. /TASS/. Over the past 24 hours, Energodar has been shelled more than 60 times by Ukraine’s armed forces with strikes targeting the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant as well, the city’s military-civilian administration reported on Wednesday.

"Over the past 24 hours, the power plant, its adjacent territories and the city have been subjected to more than 60 attacks by unmanned aerial vehicles and blast-fragmentation artillery from the direction of the Marganets populated locality," the administration posted on its Telegram channel.

It emphasized that the Ukrainian army continues to shell Energodar and the Zaporozhye NPP on the eve of a visit by the IAEA’s mission. The statement noted that following the Ukrainian bombardments, the radiation background at the nuclear facility was normal and there were no casualties.

On Monday, the IAEA’s mission left Vienna and arrived in Kiev on Tuesday where the delegation met with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky. On Wednesday morning, the IAEA’s convoy left Kiev for the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant. The mission will assess the physical damage and the plant’s safety and security.

The Zaporozhye nuclear power plant located in Energodar is controlled by Russian troops. Over the past few days, Ukrainian forces have carried out several strikes on the Zaporozhye NPP’s premises, using, among other things, drones, heavy artillery and multiple-launch rocket systems. The majority of attacks have been deflected by Russia’s air defense systems, however, some shells struck various infrastructure facilities and the vicinity of a nuclear waste storage facility.