Ukraine and Russia: What you need to know right now

* Energoatom also said the mission of the International Atomic Energy Agency, which arrived at the power station on Thursday, had not been allowed to enter the plant's crisis centre, where Ukraine says Russia has stationed troops. * Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said Ukraine was continuing to shell the Zaporizhzhia plant, raising the risks of a nuclear catastrophe, Russian news agencies reported on Friday.

The head of the UN atomic watchdog said the physical integrity of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine had been violated several times. NUCLEAR PLANT

* Ukraine's state nuclear company, Energoatom, said on Friday that it would be "difficult" for the IAEA to make an impartial assessment of the situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant due to Russian interference. * Energoatom also said the mission of the International Atomic Energy Agency, which arrived at the power station on Thursday, had not been allowed to enter the plant's crisis centre, where Ukraine says Russia has stationed troops.

* Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said Ukraine was continuing to shell the Zaporizhzhia plant, raising the risks of a nuclear catastrophe, Russian news agencies reported on Friday. * A Reuters reporter near the plant in Russian-controlled Enerhodar on the Dnipro river said a residential building was struck by shelling. Soldiers ran about and helicopters flew overhead. It was not possible to establish who had fired.

* Yevgeny Balitsky, Russian-installed Zaporizhzhia oblast governor, said at least three people had been killed and five wounded in Ukrainian shelling of Enerhodar. * Ukrainian presidential aide Mykhailo Podolyak said Russia had staged the incident in Enerhodar to blame Ukraine.

* Two IAEA inspectors will stay at the plant on a permanent basis, Russia's ambassador to international institutions in Vienna told the RIA Novosti news agency on Friday. ENERGY

* Europe could solve its energy crisis by scrapping sanctions against Russia and launching the mothballed Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, the speaker of Russia's lower house of parliament said on Friday. * Equinor has completed its exit from Russia, the Norwegian energy group said on Friday, delivering on a promise made after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February.

* Operator data on requests for gas on the Nord Stream 1 pipeline from Russia to Europe suggest flows should resume from Saturday, when Gazprom said maintenance work will be completed. * Group of Seven finance ministers are expected to firm up plans on Friday to impose a price cap on Russian oil aimed at slashing revenues for Moscow's war in Ukraine but keeping crude flowing to avoid price spikes, G7 officials said.

FIGHTING * Heavy fighting persists in the southern part of Ukraine including shellings in the Enerhodar district, near the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Britain's defence ministry said on Friday.

QUOTE "We are not going anywhere. The IAEA is now there, it is at the plant and it is not moving. It's going to stay there," IAEA head Grossi told reporters after visiting the nuclear plant.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)