The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will continue inspections of the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) until the situation around it stabilizes, including following the recent attack on the Kakhovka dam, Director General Rafael Grossi told Sputnik.
"The Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant is on the front line. And we are in charge of an important effort to try to prevent a nuclear accident... I believe that, as the head of the IAEA, I should not be simply talking about it [securing the ZNPP], but going there assessing for myself what is going on, talking to the current management there, talking to the operators there, talking to everybody, having an assessment," Grossi said.
Grossi underscored that he will focus on the consequences of the attack on the Kakhovka dam during his upcoming visit to the Zaporozhye NPP, adding, "basically this is the reason [for the visit]."
The Russian Foreign Ministry has said Ukrainian Armed Forces attacked the dam, qualifying it as a "terrorist act" against civilian infrastructure launched as part of Ukraine's so-called counteroffensive. Kiev, in turn, blamed Moscow for the attack.
Zaporozhye NPP 'Safety Plan'
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi also applauded the fact that his five-point plan to prevent a nuclear accident at the Zaporozhye NPP has sufficient support from the international community. Last week, Grossi proposed five principles to ensure nuclear safety and security at the NPP, which came under the control of Russian forces in March 2022, but has been the focus of nuclear safety concerns for months as it has been repeatedly shelled amid ongoing hostilities. While failing, as usual, to attribute responsibility for the deterioration of the security situation around the plant, Grossi told the UN Security Council:
"I have identified the following concrete principles to help ensure nuclear safety and security at ZNPP in order to prevent a nuclear accident and ensure the integrity of the plant. 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; ZNPP should not be used as storage or a base for heavy weapons (i.e. multiple rocket launchers, artillery systems and munitions, and tanks) or military personnel that could be used for an attack from the plant."
He also underscored that "all structures, systems and components essential to the safe and secure operation of ZNPP should be protected from attacks or acts of sabotage," and "no action should be taken that undermines these principles."
Talking to Sputnik, the IAEA chief stated that he had "sufficient backing of the international community, including by Russia and Ukraine, to deploy these functions or to make them operational." Furthermore, Grossi said he had discussed China's proposals regarding nuclear security at the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant during his trip to Beijing in May. The visit was the official's first to China since his appointment as IAEA chief in 2019.
"In my conversations in Beijing, the state councilor and minister of foreign affairs and other high-ranking officials from China reiterated that, in line with the positions presented by President Xi Jinping, they believe that there are certain ideas that they have, and mind you, in those [China's Ukraine peace] plans, the issue of nuclear safety is included as one of the first or high on the list," Grossi said.
While "encouraged" by the reaction that his plan has received, Grossi stressed the need to be cautious.
"Of course, we have to deal with this with extreme care. Because given the circumstances and that it is an open conflict, war … So, the important thing for me is that they have taken note of it," the IAEA chief said.
The plan, he continued, will require IAEA experts to adjust their mission at the ZNPP, since they will be "monitoring things that they were not monitoring before." The IAEA chief expressed hope that his visit to the plant will be "useful" for making the plan operational.
Rafael Grossi also revealed that he plans to raise with Ukrainian authorities Russia’s concerns over Kiev blocking the agency’s initiatives on the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said earlier on Wednesday that Kiev had blocked all the initiatives proposed by Grossi regarding strengthening the safety of the ZNPP. Ukrainian authorities also rejected the proposal of the IAEA chief to create an operational and nuclear security protection zone at the station.
"Yes, I will be discussing everything with everybody. Next week, I will be in Zaporozhye, probably. I am going to be seeing the President of Ukraine [Volodymyr Zelensky]. I discussed [it] with him last night. Even he himself announced it," Grossi told Sputnik.
Fully justified international concerns about the Zaporozhye plant’s safety have been raised since last year. After the ZNPP came under Russian control in early March 2022 during Russia’s special military operation, it has been shelled by Ukrainian forces several times, triggering fears over the possibility of a nuclear accident. Moscow’s envoy to the UN Vassily Nebenzya recently told a meeting of the UN Security Council that "there have never been any attacks from the territory of the ZNPP [by Russia]."
"The plant has never seen any heavy weapons or their munitions placed on its territory, nor is there any military personnel present at the power plant that could be used to carry out an attack from the plant’s territory," Nebenzya said.
According to the Russian permanent representative to the UN, the Russian side is already in compliance with Grossi’s recommendations, having implemented them independently "in accordance with decisions taken at the national level."
Overall, amid the Ukraine conflagration, the IAEA has been trying to act as "an intermediary." "So far, we have been able to avoid major problems, but there have been tensions, and I think we have to deal with this. It's a reality and I think it wouldn't be correct for me to pretend that there are none," Grossi said.
Rafael Grossi said that after his visit to the Zaporozhye NPP, it would be logical for him to go to "Moscow or any other part in Russia, in order to continue this very relevant conversation that we are having."
"The main task for me is to prevent a nuclear catastrophe. This is my main goal. And this requires a lot of effort. And I will continue to work in this direction."