Amid fighting near Zaporizhzhia plant, UN atomic watchdog warns of threat to nuclear safety

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which is the atomic watchdog of the United Nations (UN), on Friday (September 9) warned of a potential threat to nuclear safety due to a spike in fighting near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in the war-torn Ukraine. In a statement, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said, "I remain deeply concerned about the possible dangers facing the plant at this time of heightened military tension in the region."

“Whatever happens in a conflict zone, wherever it may be, everybody would stand to lose from a nuclear accident, and I urge that all necessary precautions must be taken to avoid it happening,” Grossi said. He added the IAEA team was informed that staff at the nuclear power plant had been reduced temporarily to minimum levels due to concerns about more military activity in the area.

'Numerous explosions reported near Zaporizhzhia for past 1 week'

The IAEA said that its experts deployed at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant reported hearing numerous explosions over the past week. There has been no damage to the plant. "Starting last Saturday, the IAEA team heard around two dozen explosions over three days, followed by several more in the last few days. There was no damage to the plant itself," the statement further said.

Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine in February last year, the UN atomic watchdog has expressed concerns that the fighting could cause a potential radiation leak from the facility, which is one of the world’s 10 biggest nuclear power stations.

The plant's six reactors have been shut for months but it still requires power and qualified staff to operate crucial cooling systems and other safety features.

The Zaporizhzhia plant has been occupied by Russian forces since March last year. Last month, Ukraine's atomic energy operator said that it was vital to gain control of the plant to supply electricity to Ukraine.

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