Update 359 – IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine
Continued military activity in the area surrounding the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), especially in the nearby city of Enerhodar where many plant staff live, is further affecting the work and living conditions of people at the site, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said today.
The IAEA team at the plant has been informed that military activity in and around Enerhodar has targeted, among other locations, local electrical infrastructure, leading to a loss of water supply in the city and at the ZNPP site. While the water needed for reactor cooling and for other essential nuclear safety and security functions continues to be supplied by groundwater wells, the loss of water supply is another sign of the challenging conditions facing those working to maintain nuclear safety and security at the ZNPP.
“Reliable access to basic services and supplies is important for staff well-being and for the continuity of their essential work”, said Director General Grossi. “The situation further underlines the importance of the IAEA’s Seven Indispensable Pillars for ensuring nuclear safety and security during armed conflict, including the need for staff to be able to perform their duties without undue pressure.”
The IAEA team living at the ZNPP has also been affected by the worsening conditions, having only limited access to tap water since 18 July.
Also over the past week, after a meeting with ZNPP representatives on emergency preparedness and response, the IAEA team was once again not permitted to visit the off-site emergency operations centre because of security concerns. The team continues to request access to assess any progress made since its last visit to the centre in December last year.
Separately, the IAEA was informed on 15 July by the Russian Federation that the ZNPP chief engineer was killed in a drone strike near the site. “Nuclear power plant staff must be protected at all times. They carry out essential work for nuclear safety and security, often in extremely difficult circumstances, and must never be targeted,” Director General Grossi said.
Elsewhere in Ukraine, the IAEA team at the Chornobyl site continued to report air raid alarms on a nearly daily basis. Late last week, the site also detected six drones within its monitoring area.
: International Atomic Energy Agency