The Russian-owned Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine is once again surrounded by mines. This was reported by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). “Mines along the edge of the ZNPP (Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant) … have been repositioned on site,” the UN agency said in a statement. The devices, previously identified by the agency's experts in the area, were removed in November but have now returned, a fact that is “incompatible with IAEA safety standards,” the statement added. The mines are reportedly located in “a restricted area inaccessible to plant operating personnel,” in a buffer zone between the plant’s internal and external fences. The IAEA added that its experts were not granted access to several reactor rooms and some other areas of the plant. “Such access is necessary to monitor nuclear safety and security,” the statement said. IAEA chief Rafael Grossi has repeatedly warned of “ongoing nuclear safety risks at the site.” The power plant was repeatedly rocked by bombings and drone strikes in its surrounding area during the conflict and remained repeatedly isolated from the power grid, raising fears of a possible major nuclear accident.
