"Yesterday, Director General @rafaelmgrossi recommended the urgent establishment of a Nuclear Safety and Security Protection Zone at the #ZNPP, and is having consultations aimed at implementing this plan," the agency said on Twitter.
The IAEA noted that the recent shelling has damaged a backup power line between the plant and a nearby thermal power station, "further underlining significant nuclear safety risks at the facility."
On Tuesday, the IAEA issued a report on the situation around the ZNPP following the on-site inspection and called on all sides to establish a nuclear safety and security protection zone at the facility. According to the report, IAEA experts have observed damage to the NPP at different locations, including "the special building that houses, among other items, the fresh nuclear fuel and the solid radioactive waste storage facility."
The Zaporozhye NPP, located on the left bank of the Dnieper River, is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe in terms of the number of units and output.
During the military operation in Ukraine, launched by Russia on February 24, the nuclear plant and surrounding area fell under the control of the Russian forces. The NPP has recently been targeted by multiple shelling, raising international concerns over a possible nuclear accident. Russia and Ukraine blame each other for the shelling incidents.