MOSCOW, September 16. /TASS/. The head of the military-civilian administration of the city of Energodar, Alexander Volga, met with representatives of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) working at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant (NPP) on Thursday.
"On instructions from the IAEA, two inspectors are working at the station permanently. It was the first official meeting between the mission and the military-civilian administration," the administration said in a statement, released via its Telegram channel.
"In the course of the meeting, the inspectors asked a number of questions related to security of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant and also of Energodar residents. Alexander Volga informed the inspectors about measures that are being taken," the statement says. "IAEA inspectors were generally satisfied by the meeting and agreed on further cooperation with the military-civilian administration of Energodar for ensuring safe use of the ZNPP and protecting lives and health of the people of Energodar".
In the official’s words, the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant needs to be maintained by unique professionals even after being shut down.
Volga said "the city of Energodar and the Zaporozhye NPP are a single organism", and the move to shut down the nuclear power plant’s reactors was certainly impacting the city.
The power plant is not only about jobs, it’s also about heating, hot water and electricity supplies. If nothing of that is left and the city keeps coming under Ukrainian fire, people will start to leave. The situation may result in a disaster because even after being shut down, the power plant needs unique professionals to maintain it. The only acceptable solution is to relaunch the facility and ensure peace for the city, without shelling attacks and threats for the lives of the city’s residents," the administration’s Telegram channel quoted him as saying.
The Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant, located near the city of Energodar, is currently controlled by Russian forces. The facility has been regularly shelled by Ukrainian armed forces until recently, but, according to Volga, those attacks ceased as of late.
An IAEA mission led by Director General Rafael Grossi visited the Zaporozhye nuclear plant in early September. The agency later released a report, calling for creating a safety zone around the facility. Two IAEA inspectors remain at the plant to monitor its condition.
The sixth power unit of the Zaporozhye NPP, the last operating one, was shut down last weekend due to the damage caused to the power lines transmitting electricity from the power plant to the system. The IAEA announced on Monday that the third backup power line had been restored.