Situation at ZNPP remains very precarious – IAEA chief

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said this at the opening of a meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors in Vienna on Monday, March 4, Ukrinform reports.

"Under the Support and Assistance Mission to the ZNPP (ISAMZ) our teams are doing indispensable work reducing the nuclear safety and security risks at the plant. However, the situation at the ZNPP continues to be very precarious, with six out of the Seven Pillars of Nuclear Safety and Security being compromised fully or partially," he said.

Grossi noted that during the reporting period, the plant suffered its eighth total loss of off-site power since the start of the armed conflict "while continuing to face challenges related to staffing, the inspection and maintenance of critical safety systems, and the reliability of the logistics supply chain."

"All these aspects affect the nuclear safety and security situation at the plant," he added.

According to Grossi, the IAEA continued "to request timely and appropriate access to all areas of the ZNPP of significance for nuclear safety and security."

The Agency did not find any indications that the five concrete principles were not being observed at the ZNPP site. However, there were observations that some principles were put at risk during the reporting period.

Photo: Kostiantyn Liberov