Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi was in Ukraine today as part of the ongoing efforts of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to help prevent a nuclear accident during the military conflict, with the wail of air raid sirens forcing one of his meetings to be held in an underground shelter.
One of the main priorities of the one-day visit to Kyiv - including a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy - was to discuss how the IAEA could assist in rebuilding Ukraine's damaged and degraded nuclear energy infrastructure.
But the current risks to nuclear safety and security remained a prominent topic, both in the day's high-level meetings in the capital and in reports from some of the IAEA teams deployed elsewhere in the country.
IAEA expert teams based at two of Ukraine's operating nuclear power plants (NPPs) - Khmelnytskyy and Rivne - were also told to seek shelter during a day of unusually frequent air raid alerts. The team at the Rivne NPP, in western Ukraine, went to the shelter three times, two of which were reportedly due to cruise missile alerts and the other due to a ballistic missile alert.
While there were no reports of attacks affecting the operation of the NPPs, the sound of air raid sirens blaring in Kyiv and elsewhere highlighted the continued dangerous situation, including for nuclear safety.
In his first meeting after arriving to the capital for his 12th visit to Ukraine since February 2022, Director General Grossi met with Energy Minister German Galushchenko and other senior officials in the basement of the Energy Ministry in downtown Kyiv because of the air raid alarm.
Later in the day, he met with President Zelenskyy and Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, with whom he also discussed the IAEA's plans to support the country in restoring and expanding its infrastructure related to nuclear power, which is of paramount importance for Ukraine's electricity generation.
"It is clear that the dangers to nuclear safety continue to be very real and ever-present. My teams report that this was the most intense day of air raid alarms they had experienced since late last year. More than three years after this horrific war began, the IAEA's on the ground presence remains essential to help avoid the threat of a severe nuclear accident," Director General Grossi said.
"But at the same time, we must start looking to the future. While the IAEA remains committed to doing everything we can to help keep Ukraine's nuclear facilities safe and secure until this devastating war ends, it is also crucial to prepare for the reconstruction phase, where the IAEA can also play an important role," he said. "In today's meetings, President Zelensky and his ministers voiced strong support and appreciation for the IAEA's continued presence at Ukraine's nuclear sites and our essential role in helping to strengthen its energy infrastructure."
Specifically, the Director General spoke to his hosts about the IAEA conducting a thorough safety assessment of the damaged New Safe Confinement (NSC) at the Chornobyl site, as well as the Agency's safety assistance related to a government plan to build two new reactor units at the Khmelnytskyy site and its technical work to help keep the national grid stable, which is of crucial importance for the safe operation of NPPs.
At Ukraine's largest NPP, Zaporizhzhya, the IAEA team was informed that the nearby city of Enerhodar - where most plant staff live - had experienced several power outages since midnight, with intermittent tap water supplies also affecting the plant itself. The IAEA team was also informed that the city and its water pump station have relied on mobile diesel generators for power. The Zaporizhzhya NPP remained connected to off-site power at all times.
Later this week, Director General Grossi will also be visiting the Russian Federation for high-level talks on nuclear safety and security.
