Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi said that he was encouraged by the reaction of Ukraine and Russia to the five concrete principles laid out by the body to prevent catastrophe at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.
“We are encouraged by the expressions of support to our work, including on… the five principles that I have established today,” Grossi said in a briefing to the UN Security Council, Grossi has been in negotiations for months to ensure the protection of the site in south-eastern Ukraine, where the situation is considered dangerous because of the ongoing conflict there.
“There should be no attack of any kind from or against the plant, in particular targeting the reactors, spent fuel storage, other critical infrastructure, or personnel, IAEA’s Director General said, outlining the first point.
The nuclear plant also should not be used as storage or a base for heavy weapons, such as multiple rocket launchers, or military personnel that could be used for an attack emanating from it.
Zaporizhzhia is Europe’s largest nuclear plant located on the banks of the Dnipro River.
Grossi visited the plant at the end of March to inspect it. This was the second time Grossi crossed the frontline in order to reach the plant and the first since he established a permanent presence of IAEA experts at the site in southern Ukraine on Sept. 1, 2022.
The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) stressed the seriousness of the security situation related to nuclear safety at Europe’s largest nuclear power plant at a time when military activity in the region was intensifying.
Russia and Ukraine have exchanged responsibility for shelling the plant’s area, and efforts to establish a safe zone around it were unsuccessful.
Source: Qatar News Agency
