Russian soldier guards outside Zaporozhye nuclear power plant (Getty Images)

A senior official in the Zaporozhye regional government, Vladimir Rogov, said Sunday that the main requirement for establishing a security zone around the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant (ZNPP) should be the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops to a distance from which they will be unable to deliver strikes at the station.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has repeatedly stated that a safety zone around the ZNPP is required.

"Western countries and [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelenskyy's regime continue to speculate on the creation of a security zone around the ZNPP, even though it is obvious to everyone that the danger to the nuclear plant comes exclusively from Zelenskyy's militants who repeatedly fired at the facility. Therefore, only one option is possible - to create a security zone; in which Kiev retreats its troops and heavy weapons to a distance from which they will not be able to strike at the nuclear power plant," Rogov said.

At the same time, the station's protection will be the competence of Russia, the official noted.

Yesterday, Vladimir Rogov, a senior official in the Zaporozhye regional government, revealed on Saturday that a protective dome is now being mounted over the nuclear waste storage at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant (ZNPP) to shield it from shell fragments.

"A protective dome is being mounted at the ZNPP over the storage facility for spent nuclear waste," Rogov wrote on Telegram.

The dome is designed to protect against fragments of shells and improvised explosive devices carried by drones, according to the official.

In the same context, Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia’s Permanent Representative to the Vienna-based international organizations, considered that "there are chances of reaching an agreement" about a protection zone around the ZNPP, but it would be too early to say that the deal is close at hand.

"Last Monday, a meeting between the IAEA director-general and Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmygal was held in Paris on Monday. As far as we know, this topic was discussed in detail during these talks. Therefore, the process continues and there are chances of reaching an agreement," according to Ulyanov.