The CEO of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Mariano Grossi, said this Friday that recent information about the Zaporizhzya nuclear power plant, in southern Ukraine, indicates an increasingly alarming situation there and asked maximum restraint to avoid any accident that could threaten public health in Ukraine and other neighboring places.
“These reports are very worrying and further underline the importance of the IAEA coming to the Zaporizhzya plant. I continue to make determined efforts to agree and lead a safety and safeguards mission to the plant as soon as possible. It is urgent,” Grossi said. .
The UN agency has been unable to visit the Russian-occupied facility in southern Ukraine since before the conflict began five months ago. Therefore, it is not in a position to confirm or deny the information about the largest nuclear power plant in the country, with six reactors.
“However, we take them very seriously.. Since the beginning of the military conflict in Ukraine, the IAEA has warned of the risk of a serious nuclear accident in a country with 15 reactors at four operating nuclear power plants. In view of recent unconfirmed reports of events at or near the Zaporizhzya nuclear power plant, I am seriously concerned about this very real danger, with potentially serious consequences,” he added.
It is necessary to prevent the damage of an installation
“It is extremely important that no action is taken that could jeopardize the safety of this plant, which is also the largest in Europe. During a conflict of this nature, a nuclear facility can be unintentionally damaged. This must be avoided at All coast”.
In recent weeks, there have been a number of reports – both in the media and in the form of official communications received by the IAEA – suggesting that the already difficult and stressful conditions faced by Ukrainian staff at the plant have deteriorated further, an issue that the IAEA has discussed before. Additionally, in recent days there have been reports indicating other potential safety hazards for the plant.
The head of the UN agency has repeatedly stressed that the IAEA must be able to send a mission to the Zaporizhzya nuclear power plant to carry out essential safety, security and safeguards activities.
As an independent and impartial organization, the IAEA’s presence would also be crucial for better situational awareness at the nuclear power plant, which has been controlled by Russian forces since March 4 but is still operated by its Ukrainian staff, he said. .
Regarding safeguards, the International Atomic Energy Agency continues to receive remote data from the four operating nuclear power plants, but continues to experience a partial loss of data transfer from Chornobyl, Grossi explained.
Ukraine separately informed the IAEA today that ten of the country’s 15 nuclear power reactors are currently connected to the grid, including three at the Zaporizhzya plant, three at Rivne, two at South Ukraine and two at Khmelnytskyy.
The other reactors have been shut down for regular maintenance. Safety systems continue to function at the four nuclear power plants, and power is also still available outside the facilities, Ukraine said.
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