IAEA Director warns of increasing nuclear safety threats in Ukraine

IAEA Director Rafael Grossi said during a one-day visit to Kyiv that nuclear safety threats in Ukraine remain real and constant amid intense Russian aerial attacks. For instance, IAEA expert teams at the operating Khmelnytskyy and Rivne nuclear power plants (NPP) were forced to take shelter three times during a day marked by an exceptionally high number of alerts. According to Grossi, the IAEA’s presence at Ukrainian nuclear facilities, especially the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia NPP, remains crucial to prevent a potential disaster. He also added that there is a need to begin preparing for the future restoration of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, a process in which the IAEA can play a key role.
Ukraine receives more than half of its electricity from nuclear energy, and the stability of the country’s power system has repeatedly been endangered by Russian strikes against energy infrastructure. During his visit to Ukraine, Grossi met with Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko.