(Moscow) The director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, traveled to Russia on Wednesday for talks aimed at securing the Zaporijjia nuclear power plant in Ukraine, which has been repeatedly targeted by shootings.
Last week, the head of the IAEA visited the Zaporizhia power plant, controlled by Russian forces in southern Ukraine, calling for urgent measures to be taken to avoid a nuclear disaster.
“I met senior officials from several Russian agencies […] I am continuing my efforts to protect the Zaporijjia nuclear power plant,” Grossi said on Wednesday during a trip to Kaliningrad, a Russian enclave located on the Baltic Sea, between Poland and Lithuania.
“My recent visit to (Zaporijjia) confirmed the urgent need to achieve this essential objective, which is in everyone’s interest,” he added on Twitter.
For its part, the Russian nuclear giant Rosatom stressed that its director general, Alexei Likhachev, had given details to Mr. Grossi on “the measures taken by the Russian authorities to ensure the safety of operations” of the Zaporizhia power plant.
Russia is “ready to continue working on the implementation” of Grossi’s proposals, Rosatom added.
The Zaporijjia power plant, the largest in Europe, has been targeted by gunfire several times in recent months, fueling fears of a nuclear disaster.
After months of fruitless exchanges, the idea of a demilitarized zone around the plant no longer seems to be relevant. During his last visit to Zaporizhia, Mr. Grossi said he wanted to find “realistic” measures.
In particular, he called for not storing weapons and heavy military equipment on the site, while being alarmed at the increase in military activity in this area located at the heart of the Russian offensive against Ukraine.
Strikes have repeatedly caused power cuts in Zaporizhia, raising fears of a shutdown of the plant’s cooling systems and a serious nuclear accident.