Russian Officials Voice Nuclear Safety Concerns to IAEA While Still Shelling Surrounding Plant Area

During a meeting on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly session, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi held discussions concerning the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, as reported by TASS.

Russian officials presented their assessment of security conditions around the facility, attributing ongoing regional tensions to Ukrainian military activities, while regular shelling and strikes on energy infrastructure continue to affect the area during Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

While Russian diplomats focused on claims regarding Ukrainian actions, international monitors continue to track persistent safety risks and infrastructure disruptions caused by military operations surrounding the plant.

On April 30, Russia expressed readiness to discuss the potential presence of US personnel at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant as part of a broader political settlement.

Speaking to Russian media, Likhachev stated that they were prepared to engage with the American side if the country’s leadership made a political decision.

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War in Ukraine

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This signaled a shift from earlier position statements by senior Russian officials, including Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who had categorically ruled out transferring control of the Zaporizhzhia plant to Ukraine or any neutral third party.

The facility, Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, had been seized by Russian forces in March 2022 during the early stages of Russia’s full-scale invasion, raising continuous global concerns over its safety and security.

Competing claims over incidents at the plant have recurred throughout the war. In late May, Russia accused Ukraine of striking the turbine hall of Unit 6, an allegation Kyiv dismissed as disinformation timed to coincide with meetings of the IAEA Board of Governors.

The plant's six reactors have remained in cold shutdown, a state that still requires uninterrupted external power to keep the reactors and spent fuel cooled.

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