Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said there has been a “dramatic reduction” in the number of Ukrainian staff at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant since Russian forces occupied the facility and the nearby city in March 2022.
The UN nuclear watchdog chief said at a media briefing in Kyiv that “normally a facility like this has around 10,000 people working and now we are down to 3,000 more or less.”
He added that the number was adequate in the current conditions,” because the plant was operating at a low level. “But of course it is a matter of concern,” he said.
He said that the handful of IAEA staff at the plant were fine and are able do their work correctly.
Grossi said that despite difficult moments throughout the conflict the positive side is that the system at the plant showed resilience.
“The good side [is that] almost a year since the beginning of the conflict on a territory with a vast nuclear infrastructure we have had very difficult moments when facilities have been operating in emergency mode and we saw the resilience of the system,” he said.
Even so, he explained that the situation remained precarious and the IAEA was “very worried” about the Zaporizhzhia plant.
The plant has always been on the frontline and on Thursday alone, there had been two major explosions in the vicinity of the plant, he said.
Grossi said there was no sign that Russia was attempting to link the plant to its own grid.
Asked if Russia showed goodwill and cooperative spirit, Grossi said, “I have a professional engagement with them.” He said Russia had to comply with safety standards that had been agreed by everybody, and he planned to visit Russia soon.
Grossi said that he was concerned that the international community would pay less attention to the situation. “I worry that this is becoming routine … that people might be asking whether the IAEA was crying wolf,” he said.
