Tensions around the Zaporizhzhia NPP have escalated again after the plant management accused Ukraine of thwarting the planned visit of International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi.
The director of the ZAPP said that the IAEA saw overt attacks on the plant and that the situation around the site remains extremely sensitive.
The Russian side claims that Kiev prevented Grossi's visit and the rotation of IAEA experts. Similar accusations were made by the head of “Rosatom“ Alexei Likhachev.
According to Likhachev, Grossi's visit and the change of agency experts were thwarted due to the position of the Ukrainian authorities. The visit was later postponed indefinitely.
Moscow claims that the Ukrainian side does not want IAEA representatives to reach the plant through territory controlled by Russia. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also said that Kiev is obstructing such a trip.
The IAEA itself has called for an end to the attacks around the Zaporizhzhia NPP and stressed the need to ensure nuclear safety. Director General Rafael Grossi described the attacks in the area of the plant as unacceptable and insisted on their cessation.
The situation around the ZNPP remains particularly risky due to the plant's dependence on a stable external power supply and fuel supplies for backup generators. In August, the plant switched to backup power after a power line failure.
The Zaporozhye NPP is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe and has been under Russian control since 2022. The issue of its security remains one of the most sensitive elements of the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Against this background, Grossi's upcoming visit and the presence of IAEA experts on site remain important for international control over nuclear safety.