IAEA Says Concerned About Nuclear Safety Risks at Zaporozhye NPP

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has expressed concern over the potentially dangerous situation at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant (ZNPP).

The IAEA said on Saturday that its experts at the ZNPP had received information about the announcement of an evacuation of residents from the town of Enerhodar where most of the NPP staff reside.

"The general situation in the area near the [Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant] is becoming increasingly unpredictable and potentially dangerous. I’m extremely concerned about the very real nuclear safety and security risks facing the plant. We must act now to prevent the threat of a severe nuclear accident and its associated consequences for the population and the environment. This major nuclear facility must be protected. I will continue to press for a commitment by all sides to achieve this vital objective, and the IAEA will continue to do everything it can to help ensure nuclear safety and security at the plant," IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said in a Saturday statement.

Earlier on Saturday, ZNPP Site Director Yuri Chernichuk said on Telegram that the nuclear power plant’s blocks were all shut down and the equipment was maintained in accordance with all the safety and security regulations. Chernichuk said that there was no need to evacuate the ZNPP staff, or Enerhodar residents.

Vladimir Rogov, a senior official of the Zaporozhye regional administration, told Sputnik on Friday that the ZNPP was operating in regular mode and there was no need to evacuate the plant’s staff.

Acting governor of the Zaporozhye region, Yevgeny Balitsky, said on Friday that the counteroffensive of Ukrainian troops in the region would be launched in the coming days or hours. The authorities of the Zaporozhye region decided to temporarily resettle residents living within a 30-kilometer (18.6-mile) zone from the combat line to the south of the region, the governor said.