The situation on the southern front in Ukraine has been slowed largely due to intricate minefields laid by Russian forces who were given time to build up defenses. He listed a few reasons why the counteroffensive may be slower than anticipated, including ammunition, artillery shells and artillery systems. Other local officials said Russia's electronic warfare capabilities are jamming Ukrainian drones. Ukraine counteroffensive: Kyiv's counteroffensive is behind schedule, according to Ukraine's Defense Minister Oleskii Reznikov.Grossi called having explosives on the site “inconsistent with the IAEA safety standards and nuclear security guidance.” “IAEA team saw some mines located in a buffer zone between the site’s internal and external perimeter barriers,” Grossi said, noting that the mines were “situated in a restricted area that operating plant personnel cannot access and were facing away from the site.” Grossi added that the IAEA team has been aware of the previous placement of mines outside and inside of the plant and they have been told that it was “a military decision, and in an area controlled by military.”

Zaporizhzhia NPP is currently occupied by Russian forces. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly called on world leaders to put pressure on Russia to hand the station over to the IAEA and for Russian fighters to leave the territory of the station. “IAEA experts have observed directional anti-personnel mines on the periphery of the site of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia NPP,” Grossi said in a statement, adding that the mines were spotted during a walkdown on Sunday.

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