The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, said on September 2, 2022, that the physical integrity of the occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine’s south was violated several times.
Source: IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi
The IAEA mission participants recorded the consequences of hostilities on the territory of the plant and the traces of projectiles hitting the objects of the nuclear power plant, which led to a violation of its physical integrity.
“We saw military actions around the nuclear power plant. I saw with my own eyes the remnants of shells on the buildings. Physical integrity was violated, and repeatedly.”
Despite this, most of the NPP systems are working and are in relatively good condition, the official emphasized. In particular, the condition of the diesel reactors, which ensure the operation of the NPP in the event of a reactor shutdown, is normal.
“There were certain interruptions in functioning, some of them also related to physical interruptions, such as broken cables and other communications, the work of certain systems has not yet been fully restored,” IAEA Director General added.
In general, experts assess the situation at the nuclear facility as “extremely difficult”: hostilities in the vicinity of the plant are intensifying, and the risk of physical damage to the nuclear power plant is increasing.
The Agency is interested in the permanent presence of its specialists at the Zaporizhzhia NPP. Currently, six members of the mission remain there, after the necessary equipment is installed, four of them will leave. For now, two specialists will remain at the plant on a permanent basis.
See also: IAEA mission visited Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant
