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EXPERTS from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Wednesday arrived in the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia in the latest stage in their efforts to inspect conditions at the embattled nuclear power plant there.
Zaporizhzya Nuclear Power Plant has been controlled by Russian forces since March, but is operated by its Ukrainian staff.
The site has come under repeated shelling in August, and last week temporarily lost connection to its last remaining operational 750 kilovolt (kV) external power line.
The IAEA mission will help ensure nuclear safety and security at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant and undertake vital safeguard activities.
Speaking to reporters, IAEA Chief Rafael Mariano Grossi expressed confidence that they would be able to safely conduct their technical mission, which follows months of consultations amid fears of a potential catastrophe at Europe’s largest nuclear facility.
The mission will take a few days, he said, though adding that it can be “prolonged” if they can establish a continued presence at the site.
Asked if he believed Russia will allow the agency to see what is really happening there, Grossi responded that his team is made up of very experienced people.
“I bring here the best and the brightest in safeguards, in safety, in security, and we will have a pretty good idea of what’s going on,” he said in a statement.
Grossi was also asked by a journalist, how they could help avoid a feared meltdown or nuclear incident at the plant.
“This a matter of political will,” he said. “It’s a matter that has to do with the countries that are in this conflict, in particular the Russian Federation, which is occupying the place.”
Grossi is leading the 13-member mission from the Vienna-based IAEA, which set out for Ukraine on Monday.
He met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the capital, Kyiv, on Tuesday.
The team’s priorities include ensuring nuclear safety and security at the plant, as well as undertaking vital safeguard activities, and assessing the working conditions of the Ukrainian personnel working there. (NAN)
A.I
Tags: International Atomic Energy Agency President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Rafael Mariano Grossi Zaporizhzya Nuclear Power Plant
