IAEA warns of ‘increasing’ military activity near Ukraine nuclear plant

By AFP 29 March 2023, 5:26 pm

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In this photo provided by the IAEA Press Office, UN atomic energy chief Rafael Mariano Grossi stands on a road next to a UN vehicle on his way to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, in southeastern Ukraine, March 29, 2023. (IAEA Press Office via AP)

The chief of the UN atomic watchdog says he is working on a security plan for the Moscow-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant and warns of increased military activity around it.

During a rare visit to Europe’s largest nuclear plant currently controlled by Russian forces, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, says he is working to find a compromise that would suit both Moscow and Kyiv.

“The idea is to agree on certain principles, certain commitments, including not to attack the plant,” Grossi tells AFP during a press tour organized by Moscow.

But he also warns of “increasing” military activity around the nuclear plant and hopes Russia and Ukraine will agree on safety principles.

“The idea is to agree on certain principles, certain commitments, including not to attack the plant,” he adds.

Kyiv and Moscow have accused each other of shelling the plant, increasing fears of a disaster.