PARIS, August 26. /TASS/. An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) mission to the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant may pave the way for the permanent presence of experts at the facility, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said on Friday.
"It is a difficult mission. Traveling through a combat zone is not an easy task for experts," Grossi told France’s RFI radio station. "This is why there is a need to ensure security. It needs to be done in coordination between the two countries. We should also expect support from the UN," he added. "Technically, the mission’s parameters need to be determined and a decision needs to be made on what we can do and perhaps, the agency’s permanent presence at the site could be established," the IAEA chief noted.
"We have been making preparations for the mission for months. The goal is to carry out an inspection involving experts on various security aspects," Grossi said. He pointed out that "the nuclear power plant has repeatedly come under attack." "There have also been issues with the power supply, which continue to this day," the IAEA chief added. "We need to help stabilize the situation," he stressed.
On Thursday, Grossi held a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron who assured him of Paris’ support for the IAEA mission to the Zaporozhye nuclear plant.
The Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, located in the city of Energodar, is controlled by Russian troops. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the Ukrainian military have carried out several strikes against the facility in recent days, which particularly involved drones, heavy artillery and multiple rocket launchers. Most attacks were repelled by Russia’s air defenses but some infrastructure sites and the nuclear waste storage area were hit.