The Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced on Thursday his intention to visit the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP) next week, citing that the nuclear safety conditions there “remain precarious.”
In a statement, Rafael Grossi indicated that he plans to engage in high-level discussions and evaluate the current situation at the ZNPP during his visit. This trip follows what Grossi described as “recent deeply concerning incidents” at the facility, which include a fire that occurred at the cooling tower and a drone strike in proximity to the plant earlier this month.
“A nuclear accident must be avoided at all costs, and a nuclear power plant must never be attacked. The consequences could be disastrous, and no one stands to benefit from it,” Grossi warned, adding that he remains determined to protect nuclear safety.
According to Thursday’s statement, IAEA experts stationed at the ZNPP have “continued to hear explosions and other indications of military activities, at times near the plant itself.”
Grossi also expressed increasing concerns over the growing vulnerability of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and its potential impact on the safety of the country’s operating nuclear power plants.