IAEA sees no signs of Russian preparations to restart Zaporizhzhia NPP – Grossi
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) does not observe any signs of large-scale preparatory work by Russia to restart the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP).
This was stated by IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, as reported by Censor.NET with reference to Interfax-Ukraine.
"We are monitoring satellite imagery of the region, and we do not agree with what was presented in that report — specifically, claims that massive preparations and construction are underway, or that they’ve already made significant progress and are building a power line. Something is happening there, but we do not agree with the conclusions drawn in that report," Grossi said.
"I want to reiterate that for the IAEA, the top priority is nuclear safety. Certain safety conditions must be met before any restart of the plant’s reactors can be considered, and those conditions are not currently in place," the Director General emphasized.
Grossi also noted that any potential partial or full restart of the ZNPP must be discussed thoroughly from a technical standpoint.
"Again, I want to stress that there will need to be very serious technical — I repeat, technical — discussions regarding a possible restart, whether partial or full, of Units 1 or 2. But as I’ve said before, there are specific safety conditions that must be met before even beginning that conversation — and we’re still far from that point," Grossi explained.
As a reminder, in late May, The New York Times, citing a report by Greenpeace, reported that Russia was constructing power lines in the occupied southern part of Ukraine in order to connect the occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant to its own energy grid.
