Russia IAEA chief: Situation at Zaporizhia nuclear power plant "very fragile"

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, has described the situation at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine as "very fragile". The situation could change at any time, for example due to drone strikes, Grossi said in Kiev before his departure to the power plant.

He wanted to get an impression of the situation on the ground. One of the topics of discussion will be the situation regarding the power supply for the power plant's cooling systems, which has been repeatedly damaged by shelling.

According to Grossi, Russian attacks on Ukrainian substations have also led to voltage fluctuations in the power grid, which represent a general safety risk for the nuclear power plants in Ukraine. Grossi announced that IAEA experts would be taking a close look at the substations.

With a total capacity of 6,000 megawatts, the Ukrainian nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhya is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe and has been under Moscow's control since March 2022 following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Several Ukrainian attempts to recapture the plant failed. All six units have been shut down to reduce the radioactive risks. IAEA observers have been on site since September 2022.

Grossi spoke with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kiev, among others. The situation surrounding the Russian Kursk nuclear power plant was also discussed. Selensky agreed that nuclear power plants must not be attacked under any circumstances, said Grossi.

According to military observers from Kiev, Ukrainian troops have come within 30 kilometers of the Kursk nuclear power plant during their advance into the Russian border region.