IAEA team reaches Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant after delay

A new team from the UN nuclear watchdog has arrived at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, held by Russian forces in southeastern Ukraine. The mission, delayed for weeks due to military activity, marks the first time the IAEA team traveled entirely through Russian-controlled territory.

📌 What happened?

A new IAEA team reached the Zaporizhzhia plant on Saturday.
The team of three inspectors traveled only through Russian-held areas.

⚠️ Why it matters?

Zaporizhzhia is Europe’s largest nuclear plant.
The site remains inactive, with ongoing security risks.

A team from the International Atomic Energy Agency arrived Saturday at the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine, Russian state nuclear company Rosatom said. The group, the 27th IAEA monitoring mission, includes three inspectors.

The rotation had been delayed for nearly a month, with Moscow and Kyiv blaming each other for obstructing the team's safe passage. This time, the inspectors traveled entirely through Russian-controlled territory.

Russian forces took control of the Zaporizhzhia plant, Europe’s largest with six reactors, in the early weeks of the February 2022 invasion. It is currently not generating electricity.

Both sides have repeatedly accused each other of shelling near the facility, raising fears of a nuclear accident. The IAEA has maintained staff at the plant since September 2022 and continues monitoring Ukraine’s other nuclear sites.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi has urged both sides to avoid actions that could put the plant at risk.

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