IAEA chief heads to Kyiv on 11th official visit since start of Ukraine war

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) embarked on a visit to Ukraine’s capital Kyiv for his 11th official visit to the war-torn country since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war almost three years ago.

“On my 11th visit to Ukraine since the war began, I’m heading to Kyivska substation, critical for the safety of Ukraine’s nuclear power, to assess damage and help prevent a nuclear accident,” Rafael Grossi said in a statement on X late Monday.

Grossi went on to say that an “increasingly fragile grid” in Ukraine poses a growing risk to all nuclear power plants in the country, including the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.

On Jan. 30, the IAEA said that Grossi would travel to Ukraine for high-level meetings in Kyiv, as the agency’s teams present at Ukrainian nuclear power plants continued to report on persistent risks at the facilities due to indications of nearby military activity.

The situation around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europe’s largest and one of the world’s 10 biggest, particularly remains tense as concerns persist over a possible nuclear disaster between Moscow and Kyiv, both of which have frequently accused each other of attacks around the facility.​​​​​​​

Zaporizhzhia, where the nuclear plant is based, is located 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the front line with Moscow and has also been frequently hit by airstrikes amid the conflict in Ukraine.

Since Sept. 1, 2022, IAEA personnel have been present at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which has been under Russian control since March 2022.