Grossi's Visit to Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine; Increasing Concerns Over Potential Nuclear Disaster

Following the explosion of the Kakhovka Dam in the Kherson region of southern Ukraine last week and the commencement of a counteroffensive by Ukrainian forces, fears of a potential nuclear disaster have escalated. Rafael Grossi, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), visited the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, in southern Ukraine on Thursday. Earlier, on Tuesday, he met with Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, in Kyiv to discuss concerns regarding the Zaporizhia nuclear plant, which is located in a Russian-occupied area. According to the Associated Press, the agency has repeatedly warned about this facility, which is one of the ten largest nuclear power plants in the world and is currently under Russian occupation. Several agency officials are stationed at this plant, which is still operated by Ukrainian staff. Russia seized the Zaporizhia facility shortly after the war against Ukraine began in March 2022. Since then, the plant has repeatedly been targeted by crossfire from both countries' armies. The six reactors at the plant have been shut down for months, but the facility still requires electricity and specialized personnel to operate critical cooling systems and other safety measures. Jens Stoltenberg, NATO's Secretary General, stated on Thursday that areas along the 1,000-kilometer front line in Ukraine have become scenes of 'intense fighting' following Kyiv's counteroffensive operations using Western weapons. He noted that Ukrainian forces are 'making progress.' However, Western analysts and military officials have warned that the campaign to drive Russian troops out of Ukraine may take a long time. The last reactor of Ukraine's nuclear power plant was also shut down following flooding. Stoltenberg emphasized that support for Ukraine is now making a difference on the battlefield. Ukraine claims that Russia has committed a deliberate war crime by destroying a dam. The crisis following the dam's destruction has left 17,000 displaced; Zelensky stated that hundreds of thousands are deprived of drinking water. The destruction of the dam in Ukraine has flooded 600 kilometers of the Kherson region. The Pentagon's deputy spokesperson stated that it is still unclear who is responsible for the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam. Verification efforts are underway regarding Russia's lies about the dam's destruction. The Kakhovka Dam's destruction in Ukraine has led to the evacuation of surrounding villages due to flooding.