IAEA chief to visit Ukraine nuclear plant

AFP || Shining BD

Published: 3/29/2023 9:14:36 AM

The UN atomic watchdog chief is expected on Wednesday to visit Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which is currently held by Russian forces.

There are persistent fears about the safety of the nuclear plant -- Europe's largest -- which is located in the southern Zaporizhzhia region where there has been frequent shelling since Russian troops invaded.

Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and his delegation are expected to arrive Wednesday morning and leave by afternoon, according to the Russian news agency TASS, citing an official with Russia's nuclear operator Rosenergoatom.

This will be Grossi's second visit to Zaporizhzhia since Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year, and he plans to "assess first-hand the serious nuclear safety and security situation at the facility", according to the IAEA.

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