– It was an incredibly tense atmosphere. The Russian and Ukrainian soldiers were only 100-200 meters apart, and we had to move through a damp area that we knew was mined. He comes straight from a dramatic visit to the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant in the war zone in Ukraine, to peaceful Oslo. The head of the international nuclear safety agency IAEA, Rafael Gross, came to Norway on Monday to hold talks with, among others, Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt. Norway has allocated NOK 100 million for the IAEA’s work in Ukraine and NOK 250 million in total for nuclear safety work in the war-torn country. During his visit to Norway, Rafael Grossi met Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt. Photo: Ketil Kern/news – We had to be careful. I know me and my team are taking a big chance when we go there. says Rafael Grossi to news. It is his third visit in the past year to Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, in the middle of the war zone in Ukraine. – You follow in the footsteps of the deminer who goes first. Then we had to use a rope to climb up the road, says Rafael Grossi. After he and his colleagues had passed the front line on 15 June, they were driven with Russian military escort to the actual nuclear power plant outside the town of Enerhodar. IAEA chief Rafael Grossi on his way to the nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhya on 15 June. Photo: FREDRIK DAHL / AFP Full Russian control Just about a week after Russia launched a full attack on Ukraine on February 24, 2022, they took control of the nuclear power plant. – Russia has full control over the operation of the nuclear power plant now, says Rafael Grossi, who says that the Ukrainian employees relate differently to the new situation. – Those of you in Norway who experienced occupation from 1940-45 know that this is not easy, says Grossi. Since 2019, Rafael Grossi has led the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Photo: Ketil Kern/news – Some choose to leave the occupied part of Ukraine, while others adapt as best they can and try to keep operations going, so that no accidents happen, says the Argentine diplomat. Since 2019, he has been head of the IAEA, based in Vienna, Austria. The war rages only a few tens of kilometers away There has been great fear that the hostilities will trigger an environmental disaster of unimaginable dimensions, even though electricity production at the six reactors at the nuclear power plant has been temporarily shut down as a result of the hostilities. The Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant is located on the southern side of the Dnieper River, while Ukrainian forces control the northern part of what was once a large dammed reservoir. Rafael Grossi has visited the nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhya three times after Russia went to full-scale war against Ukraine on 24 February 2022. Photo: AFP Now Ukraine has launched an offensive east of the power plant, where this week they took control of the village of Pjatykhatky. – We heard shooting and the sound of cannons all the time, and our motorcade also had to stop several times because of the shooting, says Rafael Grossi. What happens to the cooling water of the nuclear power plant? The explosion of the large dam in Kakhovka further down the Dnieper river on 6 June has created new fears about what is happening at the nuclear power plant. The nuclear power plant has received its cooling water from the Dnieper and the large reservoir in the river above the dam. The nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhya depends on water from the Dnieper River to cool the reactors. Photo: AFP Rafael Grossi went to Zaporizhzhya last week to see for himself what the explosion of the dam would mean for the safety of the nuclear power plant. – There is no reason for immediate panic, but that does not mean that the danger is over, says Rafael Grossi. He will not say how long the water in the smaller pool at the nuclear power plant will last, to ensure shutdown of the reactors. But he says there are solutions, including drilling for water, which can ensure cooling water in the future as well. These images show how much the water level has now dropped in the Dnieper River. The nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhya in the background. Photo: Reuters Putin well briefed IAEA and Rafael Grossi have given up on the idea of creating a demilitarized zone around the nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhya. – But I have faith in an unwritten understanding not to attack the area near the nuclear power plant and also not to use it as a starting point for military actions, says Rafael Grossi. According to the plan, one of the next few days he will go to Moscow to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin. – I am very happy that Putin, during our previous meetings, has given a clear message that he wants the IAEA to be present at the power plant in Zaporizhzhya, says Grossi. – Putin is very well informed about what happens at the power plant and I was impressed by his detailed knowledge of how the power plant works, says Grossi to news. IAEA chief Rafael Grossi met the Russian president for the last time on 11 October 2022. Photo: AP Several observers from IAEA Russia have also indicated that they are not against the IAEA increasing the number of observers who are present at the power plant at all times, from the four to five people who are there today. – Our permanent presence there cannot be underestimated, says Grossi. We will succeed if we manage to prevent a disaster in Zaporizhzhya, says Rafael Grossi Photo: Ketil Kern/news This sends a clear signal that the international community is present and cares about us. The answer to whether we are successful is whether we can prevent a nuclear accident, says Rafael Grossi.
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The situation at the nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhya is difficult – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
