IAEA completes successful mission rotation at Zaporizhzhia power plant

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) successfully conducted another rotation of its mission at the temporarily occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP). This is the fifteenth group of agency experts since the beginning of the mission.

Today, December 5, Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, the commander of the "Tavria" Operational and Strategic Grouping of Troops, announced this on his Telegram channel.

"On December 5, 2023, another staff rotation of the permanent monitoring mission of the IAEA took place at the Zaporizhzhia NPP, temporarily occupied by the Russian military," wrote Tarnavskyi.

It is noted that the mission of the IAEA aims to control radiation, chemicals, and other safety issues at the ZNPP.

The Ukrainian military handles the security of the representatives of the IAEA mission during rotations, said Oleksandr Savenko, head of the Department of the Civil-military Cooperation of the "Tavria" Operational-Strategic Grouping of Troops:

"There were cases of remote demining, where our sappers from one of the units carried out demining. The mission had not yet been released, it had not changed, it had only gone up – and shelling was carried out from both small arms, mortars, and artillery."

Rotation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant takes place every month. The previous one started its work on November 2, 2023.

At the same time, Oleksandr Savenko said that the Ukrainian military should ensure the rotation of IAEA experts. According to him, it is about ensuring a cease-fire regime on the combat contact line, demining the area if necessary, and ensuring the unhindered passage of mission representatives.

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It should be noted that the Russian occupying forces seized the Zaporizhzhia NPP at the beginning of a full-scale invasion on March 4, 2022. The aggressors not only violate the station's mode of operation but also use warehouses of the plant for storing equipment and the location of human resources.

Ukrainian officials have repeatedly reported on the risks of a terrorist attack at the station. Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said that the Russian Federation could create conditions that would cause a nuclear incident after the de-occupation of the Zaporizhzhia NPP by Ukrainian defenders.

In addition, IAEA confirmed the presence of mines at the Zaporizhzhia NPP, which had been installed by the invaders earlier.

Also, the General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) approved a resolution regarding the immediate return of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant under the complete control of Ukraine.

Since the capture by the Russians, the ZNPP has repeatedly lost its external power supply; the plant has already experienced seven complete blackouts and one partial blackout.

As Rubryka reported, on the night of December 2, a complete blackout occurred at the occupied Zaporizhzhia NPP, threatening nuclear and radiation safety at the plant.

As noted by nuclear scientists:

• On the evening of December 1, the 330 kV power transmission line "Zaporizhzhia TPP – Ferosplavna" was cut. Through it, the ZNPP received power from the Ukrainian power system.
• At 02:31, during the air alarm, the last line, "Zaporizhzhia NPP – Dniprovska," with a voltage of 750 kV, was de-energized.

Due to the blackout, the Zaporizhzhia NPP switched to powering its own needs from diesel generators. All 20 generators turned on, then left 8 in operation.

The Minister of Energy of Ukraine, Herman Halushchenko, said every blackout at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant threatens a repeat of Fukushima in Ukraine.