The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which is already present in nuclear power plant her Zaporozhyecaptured by the Russian military, will send specialists to other Ukrainian nuclear facilities in the coming days and triple their number.

The international organization “will soon be permanently deployed at all its power plants.” Ukrainianincluding Chernobyl,” the press release circulated tonight says.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi will travel there next week to begin this new mission.

While there have been specific missions since the start of the war, the decision “signals a significant expansion,” the IAEA said.

Until now, the staff of the international organization has received only the security facility Zaporozhye, which is located not far from the front line and is regularly shelled – since September, “up to four” people have been stationed there.

From now on, “almost 11-12 experts will always be” in Ukraine to “monitor the situation, inspect equipment” or even “provide technical assistance,” the international organization said.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Smyhal said in December after a meeting with Grossi that such missions were aimed at “protecting” the country’s five power plants, but the timing and scope were not specified.

In addition to Zaporozhye, inspectors will be sent to Rivne, Khmelnitsky, Yuzhnoukrainsk and Chernobyl, where the worst nuclear accident in history occurred in 1986.

On the sidelines of his visit, the IAEA chief will also meet with senior Ukrainian officials as part of his efforts to create a “buffer zone” around the Zaporozhye power plant. Grossi has been holding consultations with Kyiv and Moscow for several months, but so far to no avail.

^{Source: APE-MEB, AFP.}