IAEA mission heading to Zaporizhia NPP occupied by Russian troops – energy minister

The mission of the International Nuclear Energy Agency (IAEA) went to the Zaporizhia NPP occupied by Russian troops, said Minister of Energy of Ukraine Herman Haluschenko.

"The IAEA mission went to the NPP. Today, the IAEA mission begins an important work, which has not been analogous in the entire history of the organization," the minister wrote on his Facebook on Wednesday.

"We jointly discussed and handed over to the mission a list of technical and safety indicators that it is important for international experts to check during a visit to the station," Haluschenko explained.

According to him, the conclusions and recommendations based on the results of the mission will be implemented when the station is returned to the control of Ukraine. "The station should return to full control of Ukraine," the minister stressed, adding that after the de–occupation of the station, an important stage will be the creation of a demilitarized zone around it.

"We highly appreciate the efforts of the IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi and his team aimed at ensuring the nuclear safety of our state and the world due to the extraordinary threats caused by the actions of the Russian military at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant occupied by them," Haluschenko said.

He expressed conviction that the successful implementation of all tasks by the mission will be of great importance for the nuclear safety not only of Ukraine, but also of the whole world.

As reported, on August 30 in Kyiv, head of the IAEA Grossi met with President Volodymyr Zelensky during the visit of the agency's mission to Ukraine.

According to Grossi, the IAEA mission will stay at the NPP for a couple of days, the German agency DPA reported. There are 14 people in total in the mission.