The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant made headlines at the onset of Vladimir Putin's invasion due to concerns about potential damage from shelling, which could lead to a catastrophic accident.
Rafael Grossi, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has warned that all seven safety criteria at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant have been fully or partially compromised. He described the situation as both “grave” and “precarious.”
Grossi highlighted issues with accessing large areas of the site, located in the south of the country, making it challenging to confirm the overall safety of the facility. Addressing the IAEA's Board of Governors, he emphasized that the IAEA continues to monitor, assess, and report on the war's impact on Ukraine’s nuclear facilities.
“The situation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant remains precarious,” Grossi stressed. “All seven pillars of nuclear safety and security have been fully or partially compromised.” He explained that in early April, the plant suffered direct attacks for the first time in nearly 18 months.
“These attacks violated the first of the five concrete principles for protecting the Zaporizhzhia NPP that I laid out to the Board a year ago,” he continued. “The attacks and the frequent disconnection of the off-site power lines due to military activity are creating a grave situation, which I described to the United Nations Security Council on April 25, in my seventh briefing to the body.”
Grossi also pointed to ongoing challenges related to staffing, routine inspections, maintenance of safety structures, systems, components, supply chain reliability, and on-site emergency arrangements, all of which pose risks to the plant's nuclear safety and security.
On May 28, Grossi traveled to Kaliningrad to discuss with Alexey Likhachev, head of Russian state nuclear company Rosatom, the factors that continue to challenge nuclear safety. He mentioned that since April, all six reactor units have been in cold shutdown, a measure recommended by the IAEA to enhance the facility's overall safety.
However, Grossi noted that the IAEA Support and Assistance Mission to Zaporizhzhia (ISAMZ) lacks access to some crucial areas, impeding the agency’s ability to make impartial assessments and verify adherence to the seven pillars of nuclear safety.
Grossi pointed out that concerns extend beyond Zaporizhzhia. The IAEA has maintained its presence at Ukraine’s four other nuclear power plants, reporting compromised supply chains for spare parts and high stress levels among staff.
“Since the last Board meeting, all rotations of Agency staff at all nuclear sites in Ukraine were conducted as planned and without delays. A total of 24 missions comprising 45 Agency staff members were deployed. Since the start of the war, 47 deliveries of equipment worth more than €9.4 million have reached 18 organizations in Ukraine,” Grossi reported.
The IAEA has continued its medical assistance program and is working on defining Ukraine’s needs resulting from flooding in the Kherson Oblast. Additionally, they have prepared a proposal for the first phase of support for the safety and security of radioactive sources in Ukraine.
The report on Nuclear Safety, Security, and Safeguards in Ukraine is currently under review.
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