The IAEA’s warning came after Ukraine reported a battle in the nearby town of Enerhodar, amid the continuing Russian invasion.
“Director General Grossi called for an immediate halt to the use of force in Enerhodar, and called on military forces operating there to desist from acts of violence near the nuclear power plant,” the agency said in a statement.
Reuters quoted a Ukrainian negotiator at talks with Russian counterparts in Belarus on Thursday that the two sides had agreed on a “possible ceasefire” during the evacuations, Reuters reported.
The Ukrainian negotiator, who was not named, confirmed the understanding on establishing joint humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians.
The source added that Moscow and Kiev had agreed to hold a third round of talks soon, but the Ukrainian negotiator appeared to be dissatisfied with the results of the talks and said, “We did not get the results we were counting on.”
Russia has described its actions in Ukraine as “special military operations” and says it is not aimed at occupying territory but rather at destroying its southern neighbor’s military capabilities and arresting what it considers dangerous nationalists.
On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke in a speech about the presence of mercenaries fighting alongside the Ukrainian forces, using civilians as human shields, and placing heavy weapons in the middle of cities and towns, in a terrorist manner.