Grossi visits occupied nuclear power plant
IAEA boss sees situation in Zaporizhia as serious – but stable
6/15/2023, 6:56 p.m
The collapse of the dam in southern Ukraine has serious consequences for the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant. Because the power plant feeds its cooling water from the Kachowka reservoir, which is now drying up. IAEA chief Grossi travels to the Russian-occupied territory. At least in the short term, he does not see the plant in danger.
According to the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the situation around the Ukrainian nuclear power plant Zaporizhia is serious but stable after the rupture of the Kakhovka dam. “On the one hand, the situation is serious, there are consequences and they are real. On the other hand, a number of measures have been taken to stabilize the situation,” Rafael Grossi told the Russian news agency Interfax during his visit to the nuclear facility.
The nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine, occupied by Russian troops, draws its cooling water from the Kakhovka reservoir, which has dried up due to the dam breach. At the moment there is still enough water in the cooling ponds, said Grossi. The reactors of the nuclear plant have already been shut down. However, the fuel in the reactor cores and in the storage pools must be constantly cooled to prevent a core meltdown.
The IAEA chief actually wanted to travel to the power plant town of Enerhodar, which is occupied by the Russian armed forces, on Wednesday, but had to postpone the visit by one day for security reasons. With him, a new group of international observers has also arrived at the facility, replacing the previous mission.
Occupiers warn of increasing risks
Meanwhile, the head of the Russian nuclear authority, Alexei Lichatschow, warned of increasing risks for the nuclear power plant. “We understand that the plant can be subject to a targeted attack at any time,” the senior Russian official said on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg Economic Forum. He accused the Ukrainian military of not explicitly supporting the principles of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for the safety of the power plant. In view of the ongoing Ukrainian offensive in the region, the danger for the plant is growing, said Likhachev.
On the other hand, Ukraine, which has been defending itself against the Russian war of aggression for almost 16 months, is demanding that all troops be withdrawn from Moscow. Kiev repeatedly emphasizes that there can be no reliable security at the plant under Russian occupation.