Russia agrees that Zaporizhzhia NPP cannot be launched until end of war - IAEA

The temporarily occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant cannot start operating again because it is on the front line. The fighting threatens nuclear security on the site. This was reported by the CEO of the International Atomic Energy Agency Director Raphael Grossi, after talks with to occupation "Rostekhnadzor", according to the IAEA report.

Grossi said the hostilities are danger for the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, according to him, the NPP does not produce electricity for almost three years.

"Based on the discussions on the site this week, it is obvious that there is a general consensus that the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant can start working again, until this full-scale war continues to threaten nuclear security at the site, which IAEA also states very clearly," Grossi said.

Problems with the availability of cooling water and electricity outside the site should be fully resolved before the launch of any of the reactors of the Zaporizhzhia NPP, said the CEO of the IAEA. Outside the site, there is currently only one power line compared to ten before the war. In addition, the destruction of the Kakhovska Dam in mid-2023 means that the Zaporizhzhia NPP does not have enough water to cool six active reactors, Grossi explained.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, on May 27, the US publication The New York Times said that the aggressor country is preparing to connect the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant to its own energy system.

On May 29, a representative of the International Atomic Energy Agency reported that there is no sign that russia is preparing to restart the NPP.

On June 3, Grossi said it was not possible to restart the Zaporizhzhia NPP.