The Necessity of Safety at the Ukrainian Nuclear Power Plant; IAEA Director General Visits Russia

Rafael Grossi, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), traveled to Russia to discuss the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which has been under Russian control and involved in crossfire since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. According to Reuters, citing the Russian news agency RIA Novosti, he arrived in the port city of Sochi on Tuesday evening to discuss the "necessity of maintaining safety" at Europe's largest nuclear power plant. On Wednesday, Grossi told reporters in Sochi that he held a "very intensive and comprehensive working meeting" with Russian officials, including those from the Russian Atomic Energy Agency, Rosatom, and the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defense. He added, "This meeting gave us the opportunity to assess the safety status of the nuclear power plant (Zaporizhzhia)." After meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Grossi posted on X that they had a "significant exchange of views" regarding issues related to the plant and also on "nuclear non-proliferation" topics. Before heading to Russia, he emphasized the importance of maintaining dialogue with both sides and warned that the safety situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant is "still very fragile." The IAEA chief announced his trip to Russia on the first day of the Board of Governors meeting, during which the agency has repeatedly expressed concern about the safety of the Zaporizhzhia plant. Ukrainian forces had long resisted to maintain control over Zaporizhzhia, but ultimately Russian troops were able to take control. Since then, the plant has repeatedly been targeted by crossfire from both sides. The six reactors at the plant have been shut down for months, but this vast and sensitive facility still requires electricity and specialized personnel to operate vital cooling systems and other safety measures. Grossi mentioned in an interview with the Russian news network RT that he discussed the possibility of restarting the plant with Putin and whether it would be necessary to do so. The IAEA chief had previously crossed the frontline to visit the Zaporizhzhia plant after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a trip to Ukraine last February.