The head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog appealed on Monday for access to a Ukrainian nuclear power plant now controlled by Russian forces following rising concerns about its condition.
“Nuclear is safer than it has ever been, but we are being tested once again – this time by war. War in Ukraine is threatening one of the world’s biggest nuclear power programs,” according to International Atomic Energy Agency head Rafael Grossi.
He spoke of the IAEA’s seven indispensable pillars of nuclear safety and security, which are being violated – particularly at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant, which is under Russian occupation.
“While this war rages on, inaction is unconscionable. If an accident occurs at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant, we will not have a natural disaster to blame: We will have only ourselves to answer to,” he said, laying out the need for an IAEA team of experts and safeguards inspectors to visit the plant.
“While this war rages on, inaction is unconscionable. If an accident occurs at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant, we will not have a natural disaster to blame. We will have only ourselves to answer to.”
IAEA Chief Rafael Grossi
Contact with Europe's largest nuclear plant in Zaporizhzhya, which is being operated by Ukrainian technicians, was problematic and communications did not function every day, Grossi told the Swiss newspaper Tages-Anzeiger.
"We can't afford faulty communication with the plant in areas relevant to safety. We know of allegations that live ammunition is stored in the plant; that there are attacks on the power plant," Grossi said in an interview.
"Frankly, if I don't have access, I can't determine that," he said. "There are contradictions between the accounts of the Russian and Ukrainian sides. I receive information, I also mention it in my situation reports, but I have no way of determining whether it corresponds to the facts."
Grossi said the UN discussions with parties to the conflict covered a proposed accord on security zones around nuclear plants but he saw no willingness among them to strike a deal at this stage.
Access to the plant was difficult and overland travel through occupied territory would require special security arrangements, he said. Talks with the Ukrainian government on arranging a visit were underway.
The agency has at times reported losing connection with surveillance systems that keep track of nuclear material at the power plant.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday called Russia's actions around the plant "the height of irresponsibility," accusing Moscow of using it as a "nuclear shield" in attacks on Ukrainian forces.
Russian claims
A Russian-installed official in Ukraine said on Wednesday that Ukrainian forces had repeatedly used Western arms to attack the plant.
Russia's permanent mission to the UN outright denied that Russian armed forces caused any danger to the nuclear power plant (NPP).
"We have repeatedly stated that the activities of our armed forces in no way undermine nuclear safety and security in Ukraine," a statement by the mission read.
It further claimed that not only are they not causing any damage to the plants, but are effectively guarding them against harm.
"The Russian military took the Chernobyl and Zaporizhzhya NPPs under guard to prevent Ukrainian nationalist groups, as well as foreign mercenaries, from using the situation in the country to carry out nuclear provocations which would have catastrophic consequences," the mission claimed.
"We reject the unfounded accusations that Russia prevents the agency's inspectors from visiting the Zaporizhzhya NPP and, especially, [the] absolutely absurd speculation that a military base is allegedly being set up there," it said. "We have yet to hear more absurd propagandistic bogus stories than this."
Reuters contributed to this report.