The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) responded with a statement to the Russian shelling of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant on August 6. The general director of the agency, Mariano Grossi, said that the shelling caused some damage, but based on the information provided, the IAEA experts stated "the absence of a direct threat to nuclear safety."
This is stated in Grossiʼs statement.
The IAEA says that it received information from Ukraine about the wounding of one guard at the station and damage near the dry storage of spent nuclear fuel — walls, the roof of the building, and windows were damaged in the storage area.
The agency notes that despite the absence of a visible nuclear threat, the attacks on August 5-6 violated almost all seven indispensable components of nuclear safety, including those related to the physical integrity of the nuclear power plant, the functioning of safety systems and the protection of personnel.
Grossi once again expressed deep concern about the situation at the Zaporizhzhia NPP and declared the need for the presence of a security mission, which Ukraine insisted on.
Currently, there are about 500 Russian military personnel at the station. According to Energoatom, as of August 10, Zaporizhzhia NPP is operating with "a risk of violating radiation and fire safety standards."
Meanwhile, the Kremlin mass media reports that Russia has invited a meeting of the UN Security Council regarding the situation at the Zaporizhzhia NPP with the participation of the head of the IAEA. The briefing may take place tomorrow, August 11.
- On August 3, the Director General of the IAEA, Raphael Grossi, stated that all nuclear safety measures were violated at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhia NPP — it was completely out of the organizationʼs control.
- On August 5, Russian troops shelled the industrial site of the Zaporizhzhia NPP — they hit the high-voltage communication line of an autotransformer. After that, the station was hit by rocket systems of salvo fire. Due to this, the power unit was disconnected at the station. The nitrogen-oxygen station and the combined auxiliary building were seriously damaged. There was a risk of hydrogen leakage and sputtering of radioactive substances.
- Citing sources, The Insider writes that the Russians are mining the station — the occupiers store mines and ammunition in the immediate vicinity of the power units and under the overpasses.
- On August 6, the Russians again bombarded the nuclear power plant — the rockets hit near the dry storage of spent nuclear fuel. Radiation monitoring sensors failed, and one station employee was injured.
- On August 9, the president of "Energoatom", Petro Kotin, announced that "Rosatom" handed over to the occupied Zaporizhzhia NPP a plan to reconnect the plant to the annexed Crimea, which threatens with a catastrophe.