IAEA Chief assures stability: Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine deemed ‘physically stable’ amid conflict

Rafael Grossi, chief of the IAEA, reassures that the Zaporizhzhia nuclear station in Ukraine is “physically stable” despite the ongoing violence. He notes that safety has improved but advises care as there are still questions about the plant’s security around the world.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief, Rafael Grossi, made a major announcement on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine, stating that it is currently in a “physically stable” state. Situated on the front lines of conflict, the factory has been under Russian administration since March 2022, which is cause for concern. Moscow and Kyiv have been accusing each other of jeopardizing the security of the nuclear plant at risk.

Grossi, who recently paid a visit to the factory under Russian supervision, offered insights into the situation as it stands. according to him, “The physical integrity of the plant has been relatively stable.” He described an improvement in the reduction of direct strikes or shelling around the nuclear plant. However, he stressed that one approaches these kinds of observations with “enormous caution.”

Global concerns regarding the safety of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear reactor have sparked fears since it has been a focal point of the current war. Being the nuclear watchdog of the UN, the IAEA is essential to the monitoring and evaluation of nuclear facilities, particularly those in areas of conflict.