IAEA mission on its way to Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant – IAEA Director General
ALONA MAZURENKO – MONDAY, 29 AUGUST 2022, 08:01
Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has said that he was leading the IAEA delegation that has set out for the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP).
Source: Rafael Grossi on Twitter
Quote: "The day has come, IAEA’s Support and Assistance Mission to Zaporizhzhia (ISAMZ) is now on its way.
We must protect the safety and security of Ukraine’s and Europe’s biggest nuclear facility. Proud to lead this mission which will be in ZNPP later this week."
Previously: The New York Times reports that the IAEA mission will include experts from Poland and Lithuania, nations seen as friendly by Ukraine, but also others from Serbia and China, which Ukraine views with deep suspicion because of their cosy relations with Moscow. The remaining members are from countries that have mostly stood on the sidelines of the war in Ukraine or that have kept channels open with the Kremlin. They include Albania, France, Italy, Jordan, Mexico and North Macedonia.
Background:
- On 17 August, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, said that his country is prepared to ensure appropriate precautions are in place to promptly facilitate a legitimate visit from the IAEA.
- On 5 August, Russian forces twice opened fire on the ZNPP. On the evening of 6 August, the Russian army fired rockets at the city of Enerhodar, hitting the site of the ZNPP directly next to the area used for storing spent nuclear fuel. On 11 August, Russian forces fired on the ZNPP and the adjacent territory another four times.
- During a UN Security Council meeting on 11 August, the US argued that Russian troops must withdraw from the ZNPP to ensure the plant’s security. Vasily Nebenzya, Permanent Representative of Russia to the United Nations, rejected the proposal to create a demilitarised zone around the ZNPP.
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