IAEA chief unveils seven pillars of nuclear safety at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia plant

Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi has said that each of the seven security pillars outlined by the IAEA has been compromised.

"The situation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant [Ukraine] remains precarious," Grossi said as he delivered his opening statement to the IAEA Board of Governors on June 3, TASS reports.

"All Seven Pillars of Nuclear Safety and Security have been fully or partially compromised," he added.

Grossi said that the attacks and the regular disconnection of the off-site electricity lines amid "military activity" have caused a grave situation at the nuke plant.

There are still risks to security and safety at the nuclear facility, there are those related to staffing, routine inspection and maintenance of the safety systems, as well as on-site emergency arrangements.

Grossi also recounted his travel to Kaliningrad on May 28 where he raised with the Russian delegation factors that the IAEA believes remained a challenge for nuclear safety at the nuclear facility.