A protective zone around the Zaporozhye NPP (ZNPP) can be organized in the foreseeable future. This was announced on Friday, December 9, by the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi.
“We are moving forward in our consultations with Ukraine and Russia, and I hope that the zone will be agreed and put into effect soon. This is urgently needed.” are given his words on the agency’s website.
Meanwhile, the fourth rotation of IAEA mission personnel has already taken place at ZNPP. Members of the new team have replaced colleagues who have been on duty at the station over the past weeks.
Grossi also stressed that we should not forget about other stations on Ukrainian territory. Although they are far from the area of direct conflict, their serviceability remains an important aspect of nuclear security in Europe.
“In recent weeks, our specialists have carried out work aimed at reducing these risks, and it will continue for as long as necessary,” the head of the IAEA said.
In particular, the experts visited the Khmelnytsky and Rivne NPPs and noted that despite all the difficulties, the plant employees approach their work responsibly and carefully fulfill their obligations. None of the facilities were found to have sustained physical damage, but there were operational problems such as emergency diesel generators had to be used in the absence of power.
The next inspections are expected at the South Ukrainian and Chernobyl NPPs.
On December 3, Grossi announced that the withdrawal of weapons from the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant would become part of the general agreement between Moscow and Kyiv to protect it. According to him, both sides agreed not to shell the station and not to fire from its territory.
A day earlier, he pointed out that thanks to the actions of the agency staff, the agreement on a safe zone around the ZNPP is becoming more and more acceptable.
Zaporozhye NPP is the largest NPP in Europe in terms of the number of units and installed capacity. The object came under the control of the Russian Federation following the results of the referendum on the reunification of the Zaporozhye region with Russia. Moscow emphasized that the withdrawal of the Russian military threatens to be a disaster, since Kyiv could use the station for provocations.
For more up-to-date videos and details about the situation in Donbass, watch the Izvestia TV channel.
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