KYIV (Reuters) - Ukraine said on Sunday it condemned a "breach of territorial sovereignty" by employees of the U.N. nuclear watchdog who visited the Russia-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine via Russian-occupied territory.

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry protested on March 2 against International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) staff passing through occupied territories to carry out a rotation at the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant but blamed the situation on Russian blackmail.

A new monitoring mission from the U.N. nuclear watchdog arrived on Saturday at the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine for the first time through Russian territory, a Russia-installed head of the plant said.

The territories through which the latest unauthorized rotation of IAEA experts at the Zaporizhzhia NPP took place are the territories of Ukraine temporarily occupied by Russia, and they will always remain Ukrainian.

Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemns IAEA decision to withdraw staff from ZNPP through occupied territories, calling it not a rotation, according to the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has condemned the rotation of IAEA experts at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) via Russian-occupied

International atomic monitors are for the first time traveling through Russian territory rather than Ukraine to reach Europe’s biggest nuclear-power plant, said three diplomats briefed on the matter — a blow to Kyiv’s desire to avoid international recognition of the Kremlin’s ownership claims.

UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi on Monday defended the first ever visit by his staff to Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant through Russian-occupied territory, saying the "exception" wa

The UN's nuclear watchdog defended itself on Monday against criticism from the Ukrainian government following the recent rotation of agency experts at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant.