International Atomic Energy Agency delegation to visit Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant this week

Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has announced that a delegation from the organization will visit the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant later this week.

According to the IAEA’s website, the goals of the visit will be to “assess the physical damage to the ZNPP’s facilities, determine whether the main and back-up safety and security systems were functional and evaluate the staff’s working conditions, [and perform] urgent safeguards activities on the site.”

Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said that Russia is prepared to ensure the IAEA representatives’ safety on Russian-controlled territory during the visit, according to Interfax. “[The delegation] will travel to the territory through an area that’s controlled by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. There, as far as we understand, their security will be provided by the Ukrainians,” Peskov said. According to him, that there are currently no plans to create a demilitarized zone around the facility.

The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is Europe's largest nuclear energy facility. It was captured by Russian troops at the start of Moscow's full-scale war against Ukraine. Russia and Ukraine have repeatedly accused one another of shelling the station in recent months.

The IAEA reported in early August that “every principle of nuclear safety has been violated” at the Zaporizhzhia plant. According to the Institute for the Study of War, Russia is storing heavy military equipment in the facility itself, using it as a shield from Ukrainian strikes (an allegation that’s been confirmed by video evidence)