Russian forces still occupying Europe’s largest nuclear power plant are creating an “extremely fragile and dangerous” situation, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director general Rafael Mariano Grossi.
“We are fortunate that a nuclear accident has not yet happened,” said Grossi in a . “We are rolling a dice and if this continues then one day our luck will run out.”
Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is currently shut down and not producing its own power, so relies on an external supply to run cooling systems that keep reactors and spent fuel safe. Grossi said that there have been seven power outages since the invasion that led to the plant running on emergency diesel generators. The plant is reportedly relying on to keep equipment running.
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Grossi used his speech to call on both sides to reach an agreement that no attack of any kind should be staged either from or against the plant, that the site shouldn’t be used to store rocket launchers or tanks and to maintain the power supply. “We must prevent a dangerous release of radioactive material,” he said.
The conflict in Ukraine, which has now lasted more than 15 months, is the first time in history that war is being fought around nuclear power plants.
Chernobyl, the site of the worst-ever nuclear accident in 1986, was occupied by Russian forces in the early days of the invasion, but has since passed back into Ukrainian control. Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant remains in Russian hands and has been shelled in recent fighting – which one scientist said risks creating “another Chernobyl”.
The Ukrainian government alleged on 26 May that Russian forces were planning to at the plant to force a ceasefire that could give them a tactical advantage, but cited no evidence. What is clear is that conditions at the plant are difficult and that fewer maintenance staff are on site than usual, which the IAEA says is unsustainable and presents a .
The IAEA has led 12 missions to Ukraine since the invasion to investigate the condition of nuclear power plants and lend support, including 17 deliveries of equipment donated by other countries. A rolling group of IAEA staff has been a continuous presence at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant since 1 September last year.
