IAEA director after inspection: “Physical integrity of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant has been violated” | Abroad

An employee of Rosatom, the Russian nuclear energy company, showed IAEA people around the nuclear plant, which is operated by Ukrainian personnel, on Thursday. “They do their job under difficult circumstances professionally and with dedication,” said Grossi.

“During these hours we were able to collect a lot of information. I’ve seen the main things I needed to see,” he said. “We have made an initial evaluation. We have seen the dedicated work of the staff and the staff. Despite the very, very difficult circumstances, they continue to work professionally.”

“The physical integrity of the nuclear plant has been repeatedly violated,” Grossi told media on his return to Kiev-controlled territory. “This is something that cannot continue to happen,” he added.

The IAEA chief also announced that members of the IAEA will remain at the nuclear power plant. “We accomplished something very important today,” he said. “And the most important thing is that the IAEA stays here. Let the world know that the IAEA will remain in Zaporizhzhya,” Grossi said after the inspection, in a video distributed by the Russian state agency Ria Novosti.

He did not clarify in the video how many people will stay, nor for how long. A regional official, Vladimir Rogov, told Russian broadcasters that the IAEA mission would remain at the plant until at least September 3. Energoatom, the Ukrainian state energy company, said five inspectors will remain stationed at the complex. A number of others go to the city of Zaporizhzhya, about 120 kilometers from the power station.

According to the Russian news agency Interfax, some experts left the site in the afternoon, after about four hours on site. It would be four of the nine vehicles that made up the convoy. Grossi was also there.

The nuclear power plant often comes under fire in the Russian war against Ukraine. The plant has six reactors and is the largest in Europe.

Rewatch: Ukraine nuclear power plant interview interrupted by air raid sirens