IAEA director to resume shuttle diplomacy over Zaporizhzhia plant’s safety risks

Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), is scheduled to visit both Kyiv and Russia next week as part of his ongoing dialogue with the parties involved in the conflict, aimed at maintaining nuclear safety, the IAEA’s press office confirmed.

Grossi has described the current situation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) as unstable, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

For more than a week, the plant has relied solely on a single operational 750-kilovolt power line — the Dniprovska line — to support its operations. The backup line, Ferrosplavna-1, has been out of service since May 7 due to damage, and efforts to repair it have been hampered by the surrounding military activity, the IAEA reported.

Russian forces have been in control of the Zaporizhzhia facility since March 3, 2022. The plant has not generated electricity since September of that year. It is currently operated by Rosenergoatom, a subsidiary of Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom. According to Rosatom’s head, Alexey Likhachev, Russia would be willing to discuss cooperation on the ZNPP with the United States, should the national leadership decide to pursue such talks.

On May 8, Likhachev also praised the IAEA’s mission at the Zaporizhzhia site for playing a role in maintaining the station’s safety. He emphasised that among all United Nations specialised agencies, the IAEA has been unique in upholding a technical and depoliticised approach amid the extremely challenging conditions of the past three years.

Grossi previously visited both Ukraine and Russia in early February.

By Tamilla Hasanova