During his visit to Kyiv, Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), expressed concern over the precarious situation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which has been under Russian control since March 2022, as the term of nuclear fuel operation nears its end.
“This issue will be paramount in my discussions with the current plant leadership and the Russian leadership in Moscow. From our side, we will insist on conducting a thorough assessment of the condition of the fuel in the power units,” stated Grossi.
During his visit to Ukraine on February 6, Grossi also met with the Minister of Energy, German Galushchenko, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“… glad to meet Energy Minister Galushchenko, regulator Korikov, and Energoatom’s Kotin and exchange on Ukraine’s NPPs IAEA actively present at each site, remains steadfast in supporting the safety and security of these facilities,” Grossi wrote.
After the meetings in the Ukrainian capital, the Director General of the IAEA will head to the ZNPP, and from there, he will proceed to meet with Russian high-ranking officials in Moscow.
On February 3, Russia admitted to mining the ZNPP. This was in response to the IAEA’s report revealing that the Russians had planted mines around the captured facility, referring to explosives discovered by the IAEA team and removed in November of the previous year.
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