IAEA chief Grossi arrives in Ukraine to visit Kyivska substation

On February 4, Rafael Grossi, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, arrived in Ukraine with plans to visit the Kyivska substation.

Grossi reported that on X.

"[…] I'm heading to Kyivska substation, critical for the safety of Ukraine's nuclear power, to assess the damage and help prevent a nuclear accident," he wrote in a post.

Grossi also noted that this is his 11th visit to Ukraine since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The IAEA head noted that the power grid's vulnerability poses a growing risk to all nuclear power plants, not just the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

On January 30, the IAEA website reported that Grossi would arrive in Ukraine "for a high-level meeting."

"As long as this terrible war continues, the IAEA will be present and remain active, focused on doing everything possible to maintain nuclear safety in challenging circumstances. As the overall situation remains unstable and fragile, our work there remains important," the agency's director general stressed.

As noted in the statement, over the past week, IAEA teams at Ukrainian nuclear power plants (NPPs) have continued reporting on the facilities' ongoing risks and numerous signs of military activity near them.

"At Zaporizhzhia NPP (ZNPP), the IAEA team heard explosions from outside the plant daily, including several blasts at close range on the morning of January 30.

There were no reports of damage to the plant itself," the organization said.

As stated in the press release, the meeting will discuss the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) current efforts to prevent a nuclear accident during a military conflict.

It was also noted that this will be the 11th mission to Ukraine under Grossi's personal leadership since the beginning of the Russian Federation's war against Ukraine, which "demonstrates the IAEA's unwavering commitment to providing Ukraine with assistance in ensuring nuclear safety."

For reference:

Representatives of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) heard powerful explosions near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) on January 6. They also reported machine-gun fire coming from the facility's territory.

Moreover, in mid-December, a Russian drone hit a service vehicle of the International Atomic Energy Agency mission. They were heading to the temporarily occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.