IAEA chief sounds the alarm: War in Ukraine remains the biggest threat to global nuclear security

The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi said that the ongoing war in Ukraine continues to pose a critical threat to global nuclear security. He announced this during a speech at an extraordinary meeting of the IAEA in Vienna, Focus reports.

"The conflict in Ukraine is approaching its fifth year. It continues to pose the greatest threat to nuclear security in the world,” Grossi stressed.

He noted that IAEA teams remain deployed at all nuclear power plants affected by the conflict and regularly publish updates on the state of nuclear security.

Grossi stressed that a key element of security is a reliable external power supply.

"All nuclear facilities must have a reliable external power supply from the grid," the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency said, citing IAEA recommendations.

Grossi also noted the importance of power substations throughout Ukraine, which are also a critical link in nuclear security.

"Damage undermines nuclear safety and must be avoided," he concluded.

The expert mission of The IAEA is currently assessing 10 such substations amid ongoing attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure.

According to Grossi, the International Atomic Energy Agency team has also reported military activity near other nuclear facilities, including the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, where a substation failure has forced the temporary use of emergency diesel generators.

“The best way to ensure nuclear safety and security is to end this conflict,“ the IAEA Director General concluded.