UPDATE - IAEA chief arrives in Kyiv on 11th official visit since start of Ukraine war

UPDATES WITH IAEA CHIEF’S ARRIVAL IN KYIV, ADDS LATEST STATEMENT, REVISES HEADLINE, DECK, LEDE

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) – The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Tuesday arrived in 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.

"I’m at Kyivska electrical substation—an important part of Ukraine’s power grid essential for nuclear safety," Rafael Grossi said in a statement on X.

"A nuclear accident can result from a direct attack on a plant, but also from power supply disruption," Grossi said, noting that the IAEA is at the substation to assess the damage and help prevent such a risk.

The IAEA chief said 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.