After months of growing tensions and accusations by Ukrainian and Russian forces of the bombing of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, a team of experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency left for the Ukrainian plant on Monday.
The official confirmation came in the form of a tweet where the head of the Agency, Rafael Grossi, stated his satisfaction at leading the mission to Zaporizhzhia. The plant was occupied by Russian forces within days of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“The day has come,” Grossi said in a message that includes a photograph of all the members of the mission. “We must protect the security of the largest nuclear facility in Ukraine and in Europe. Proud to lead this mission that will be at the plant at the end of the week”, continues the announcement on the social network.
The director general of the Agency indicated that the priorities of the experts will include the damage assessment of the nuclear power plant and the evaluation of the operation of the safety and protection systems.
Another urgent task will be to check the well-being of the Ukrainian personnel who continue to work at the plant where six of the fifteen nuclear reactors in the country are located.
In recent months, Grossi has reiterated his call for access to the Zaporizhzhia facilities, while urging the withdrawal of all military personnel and that it not be considered a target of war.
At a meeting of the Security Council earlier this month, the IAEA director general declared that, given the uncertainty of the situation and the huge potential threat of a nuclear accident, “time is short.”
The information provided by Ukraine and Russia on the state of the facility was “contradictory”, the Agency said at the time, regarding its operation and the damage suffered.