International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi has called for maximum military restraint to reduce the risk of a nuclear accident after a series of major explosions near the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine.
The IAEA chief said it was not possible to determine the exact source or direction of the explosions, except for the incident on February 22, which the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant Management Board described as a training exercise at the site, but which did not involve shelling or any damage to the plant. IAEA experts reported hearing explosions every day this week, with several in succession on February 23.
The IAEA noted that one of the nuclear safety and security risks facing nuclear power plants is the lack of backup power. Specifically, nuclear power plants still receive the electricity needed for reactor cooling and other nuclear safety and security functions from a single 750 kilovolt (kV) line, but currently the nuclear power plant has no backup options for external power sources.
IAEA officials have been on a monitoring mission at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant since September 2022. The six units, which before the conflict produced about a fifth of Ukraine’s electricity, have been offline. Europe’s largest nuclear power plant has been at the center of fighting since Russian forces seized control in March 2022. Moscow and Kiev have accused each other of safety violations at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
CHI HANH
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