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.

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.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine expressed outrage over the actions of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which were influenced by pressure from Russia. "Russia effectively forced IAEA personnel to remain at the station for 80 days without rotation,

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.

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.

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

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.

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.