International Atomic Energy Agency warns of threat due to spike in fighting near Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, issued a warning on Friday (September 9) about a possible threat to nuclear safety due to an escalation in fighting near Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the IAEA, expressed deep concern, stating that he worries about the potential risks facing the plant during the current period of heightened military tensions in the region.

Grossi emphasized the universal repercussions of a nuclear accident in a conflict zone, emphasizing that all necessary precautions must be taken to prevent such a scenario. He noted that the plant’s staffing levels have been temporarily reduced to a minimum due to concerns about increased military activity in the vicinity.

The IAEA’s experts, stationed at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, reported numerous explosions in the vicinity over the past week. Fortunately, there has been no damage to the plant itself. The statement released on Friday mentioned that the IAEA team detected approximately two dozen explosions over three days, followed by additional explosions in recent days.

Since the onset of the war in Ukraine in February of the previous year, the UN’s nuclear watchdog has voiced fears that the conflict could potentially result in a radiation leak from the Zaporizhzhia facility, which ranks among the world’s ten largest nuclear power stations.

While the plant’s six reactors have been offline for several months, it still requires a power supply and qualified personnel to operate critical cooling systems and other safety measures. Russian forces have occupied the Zaporizhzhia plant since March of the previous year. Ukraine’s atomic energy operator stated last month that regaining control of the plant is essential to supply electricity to the country.