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Rosenergoatom says increased number of IAEA experts at ZNPP isn’t due to nuclear safety

Renat Karchaa said the shelling disrupted the system of power supply required to operate the station, creating major problems

MOSCOW, October 6. /TASS/. Renat Karchaa, adviser to the general director of Rosenergoatom, on Thursday said the reason for the increased number of IAEA’s inspectors at the Zaporozhye NPP could be a heavy workload caused by the regular shelling of the plant by Ukrainian forces.

"That may in part be due to the fact that Ukraine, after [IAEA Director General Rafael] Grossi and most of the mission ended their visit, not even for a single day stopped its artillery strikes at the site," he said. "A significant number of supporting infrastructure facilities that are of critical importance have sustained damage."

"The IAEA is based in the fact that the amount of observation is significant and the two people stationed there are struggling to cope with that much work," the official went on to say. "Truth be told, I don’t see any other explanation that has to do with nuclear safety."

Karchaa said the shelling disrupted the system of power supply required to operate the station, creating major problems. The increased number of inspectors could also be due to concerns in Europe that Ukraine doesn’t supply them with electricity from ZNPP because Kiev forces destroyed power lines and distribution devices.

"It’s not that the number of inspectors will determine success of the IAEA mission. It will be determined by just one thing: Will that organization be able to finally force the Ukrainian side to stop that artillery madness or not. That doesn’t depend on the number of observers in any way, to say the least," Karchaa said.

Reuters reported earlier on Thursday, citing Grossi, that the organization will increase the number of its exerts at the Zaporozhye NPP from two to four.

The Zaporozhye nuclear power plant in Energodar is controlled by Russian troops. An IAEA mission traveled to the station in September and left two agency employees there as observers. Afterward, the agency published a report calling for the establishment of a safety zone around the ZNPP to prevent accidents arising from hostilities.