Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Grossi announced today that he will visit the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine next week, which he says is in a “dangerous” state.

This is Grossi’s second visit to the nuclear plant, Europe’s largest, after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, to “assess the severity of the safety and nuclear security situation at the site,” the IAEA said.

“Despite our presence at the site for seven months, the state of the Zaporozhye NPP remains unstable,” Grossi said.

“The risks to safety and nuclear safety are all too obvious, as is the need to act now to avoid an accident,” he added.

Grossi suggested creating a security zone around the nuclear plant.

“I am determined to continue doing everything in my power to help reduce the risk of a nuclear accident during the tragic war in Ukraine,” he said.

A new team of IAEA experts will accompany Grossi as the international agency maintains a permanent presence at the nuclear plant since September.

The replacement of the expert group, which was supposed to take place in February, dragged on for almost a month.

Source: APE-MPE, AFP, Reuters.