Safety at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant remains fragile, IAEA chief says in Kyiv

Safety at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant remains fragile, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi said today in Kyiv. According to the AP, he pointed to a recent reduction in staff carried out by the Russian occupation authorities. Around 100 Ukrainian workers at the nuclear power plant, which is considered the largest in Europe, are refusing to sign a contract with Russian company Rosatom, Grossi said, according to Reuters.

„This enormous facility used to have about 12,000 employees. Now their number has fallen to between 2,000 and 3,000, which is quite a significant reduction in the number of people working here,“ Grossi said.

„To operate these very sophisticated, large facilities, you need a certain number of people performing various specific functions. The situation is stable for now, but it is a very, very fragile balance,“ he added.

There are various reasons for the staff reduction, the AP noted. Some plant workers fled, it said, while many did not want to remain in Russian-occupied territory or refused to work for Russia. Grossi said that during his visit to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, he would focus on the impact of the staff reduction, following Russia’s recent denial of access to workers from Ukrainian company Energoatom.

In its latest report on the situation around the plant last week, the IAEA said that Energoatom workers had been denied access since 1 February. Former employees of the Ukrainian company work at the facility after accepting Russian citizenship and signing contracts with Rosatom, the plant’s Russian operator. Staff sent from Russia are also working there.

Russia seized the plant shortly after its invasion of Ukraine, and it is located near the front line. Russia and Ukraine have previously accused each other of shelling it. The plant has six reactors, which have been shut down for almost 18 months and are not generating electricity. However, they contain a large amount of nuclear fuel that must be kept safe and cooled.

Grossi is due to discuss the situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant with Ukrainian officials today and later with the plant’s current Russian operators. According to news agencies, he is expected to visit the plant itself on Wednesday. He also intends to check the stability of the cooling systems after an explosion destroyed the Kakhovka dam last year and Ukrainian authorities warned that the destruction of the dam could put water supplies for cooling at risk. According to the AP, the plant’s management is using wells for this purpose.