French President Emmanuel Macron called Russian leader Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin press service said.

At the initiative of the French side, Russian President Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron, the statement said.

It is noted that the heads of state discussed the situation in Ukraine, Macron and Putin stressed the importance of sending an IAEA mission to the Zaporizhzhia NPP as soon as possible, which would be able to assess the real situation on the spot. Furthermore, Putin confirmed Russia's readiness to provide the inspectors with the necessary assistance during the trip. He stressed that shelling of the Zaporizhzhya NPP by the Ukrainian military created a danger of a catastrophe.

Additionally, Putin reminded Macron of the invitation to experts from the UN Secretariat and the International Committee of the Red Cross to visit the detention facility in Olenivka, where Ukrainian prisoners of war were killed as a result of the Ukrainian military strike.

Putin also briefed the French leader on the implementation of the food deal signed on July 22. He drew Macron's attention to the existing obstacles for Russian exports, which do not contribute to the solution of problems in the sphere of food security.

The presidents of Russia and France agreed to continue contacts on the raised and other issues, the Kremlin press service added.