VIENNA, November 4. /TASS/. The explosions that have been recorded near the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant (ZNPP) by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts almost every day in recent months are evidence of an ongoing threat to the facility’s nuclear safety, the IAEA said in a press release.
"Almost every day in recent weeks and months, the IAEA experts have continued to hear explosions some distance away from Europe’s largest nuclear power plant (NPP), underlining ever-present dangers to nuclear safety and security," the IAEA said.
Energodar, where the Zaporozhye NPP is located, has repeatedly come under Ukrainian drone attacks in the past few months. On Thursday, Russian military ensured a safe rotation of IAEA observers at the ZNPP despite a Ukrainian drone attack. The mission consists of four inspectors, whose task is to monitor and assess the nuclear facility’s safety. IAEA experts have been present at the ZNPP since September 1, 2022, when IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi visited it.
The Zaporozhye NPP is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe. The total capacity of its six reactors is about 6,000 megawatts. In late February 2022, the facility was taken under control by Russian forces.