Grossi's warning about a nuclear accident at the Zaporozhye power plant

According to the report of the international group of Tasnim news agency, citing “Novosti” news agency, Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency last night, Monday, at the meeting of the United Nations Security Council, confirmed that the recent attacks on the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant are one of the basic principles of protection It violated the establishment that was compiled a year ago. He explained: “Over the past 10 days, the first of these principles has been repeatedly violated, which indicates a serious increase in the risk of maintaining nuclear and physical safety at the Zaporizhia power plant. “We are talking about the absolute prohibition of any attack on this power plant, its reactors and its personnel.”

Grossi also mentioned other approved principles, including the inadmissibility of using the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant as a warehouse for storing heavy weapons or deploying military forces, and the need to protect all foreign power lines and strictly observe all of the above. He also emphasized: What is happening now is a serious threat to the safety of the nuclear power plant, so all efforts must be made to prevent the occurrence of nuclear threats. According to him, the International Atomic Energy Agency has helped in this regard so far and will help maintain communication channels in this matter.

The risk of a nuclear accident due to attacks on the Zaporozhye power plant is very real

In his speech, Raphael Grossi stressed that the UN Security Council should do all it can to reduce the risk of dangerous accidents at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant. The head of the agency added: “Last week, we were dangerously close to a nuclear disaster. And you should do everything possible today to minimize the risk of accidents.”

He also welcomed the transfer of all six reactors of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant to cold shutdown status and noted that the agency recommends such actions because it improves the overall safety of the site, but this action does not completely eliminate the risk of a nuclear accident.

Grossi also announced his plans to visit Russia and Ukraine after the meeting of the Security Council and added that the International Atomic Energy Agency intends to invite Russia and Ukraine to assess the technical status of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant.

Pointing out that the agency is obliged to maintain communication channels with both sides, he added that an exact date for his trip to Moscow and Kiev has not yet been set.

The head of the agency continued that he is satisfied with the number of experts stationed at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant. And he explained: We have a team of four to five people there, sometimes more, sometimes less, and this situation is satisfactory. He added that on April 16, the 18th rotation of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant will take place since September 1, 2022, when he first visited the facility. The previous rotation of IAEA mission group observers took place on March 12 and included four observers from Canada, Spain, South Korea and Slovakia.

end of message/