The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is alarmed by the tense situation around the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine, which is close to the front. The situation is becoming more and more unpredictable and the risk of danger at the Russian-occupied nuclear power plant is increasing, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said today.
“I am extremely concerned about the very real security risks,” he warned in a status report. “We must act now to prevent an imminent serious nuclear accident.”
The pro-Moscow administration in the Zaporizhia region has announced evacuations, including the town of Enerhodar, where most of the nuclear power plant’s personnel live. According to Grossi, the employees are still there, but the situation is becoming “increasingly tense, stressful and challenging” for them and their families. According to the IAEA, permanent stress can lead to errors and accidents in nuclear power plants.
Grossi again called for an agreement between Ukraine and Russia to protect the nuclear power plant from attack. Originally, Moscow was optimistic about the plan, while Kiev was skeptical because it did not anticipate a Russian withdrawal from the plant.