IAEA chief: Military escalation around Zaporizhzhia NPP raises urgent safety concerns

Ongoing combat near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) poses a serious risk to nuclear safety, warns IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi. 

Grossi expressed deep concern about the escalation of military activity around the plant, stating that what was once unimaginable — witnessing military operations near such a crucial nuclear facility — has now become a regular and disturbing part of life at ZNPP, Caliber.Az reports per Russian media.

In his latest weekly report, Grossi stressed that the situation is unsustainable from a nuclear safety standpoint.

The IAEA chief revealed that its inspectors were forced to seek shelter within the plant’s premises recently due to gunfire heard near the administrative building. The plant’s management informed the inspectors that the incident was connected to the threat posed by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

Furthermore, Grossi noted that IAEA personnel reported hearing explosions and gunfire from various distances almost daily throughout the previous week.

As a reminder, at least eight people have died and over 80 others, including six children and a pregnant woman, have been injured in a Russian missile and drone attack on Kyiv. The strike, which involved around 70 missiles and up to 150 drones, also caused fires and extensive damage to residential buildings.

Two children remain missing, and emergency services are still searching through the rubble. The attack has been described as one of the most devastating to hit the Ukrainian capital. Blasts were also reported in Kharkiv, injuring at least two people.

President Zelenskyy cut short a diplomatic trip to South Africa in response.

By Aghakazim Guliyev