Poland has begun distributing iodine tablets amid concerns about explosions around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Reuters reports.

The tablets are distributed to regional fire departments, which are tasked with distributing them to people in case of radiation exposure.

Explosions around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe’s largest, damaged buildings near six reactors and repeatedly knocked out power lines, raising concerns about a possible nuclear disaster in neighboring countries.

The plant was reconnected to the power grid last Saturday.

“After reports in the media about the fighting near the Zaporizhzhya NPP, we decided to take protective measures in advance by distributing iodine,” Warsaw Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Blazej Pobozy said on Thursday.

“I want to assure all citizens that these are normal, preventive measures to protect us in the event of a situation that I hope will not occur,” he added.

The head of the IAEA talked about the deterioration of the situation at the NPP

The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Raphael Grossi, said on Thursday that the situation at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant “continues to deteriorate” as the Ukrainians accused Russian forces of repeatedly bombing it.

“The situation continues to deteriorate and we cannot afford to wait until something catastrophic happens. As long as the bombing continues, the risks are enormous,” he warned.

Earlier in September, he said the possibility of more damage was a concern and that the physical integrity of the plant had been “compromised not once, but many times”.

Russia has repeatedly rejected requests from the IAEA and the international community to withdraw its troops from the territory of the nuclear power plant or agree on a cease-fire zone around it.

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