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The director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, spoke to France 24 from Vienna and stated that his teams had not observed any Russian military deployment inside the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, despite the fact that the authorities Ukrainians claimed that Moscow was preparing to attack the site.
Speaking to France 24 from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) headquarters, Grossi said he went to Zaporizhia on June 15. He said the situation was “serious” but was stabilizing at the nuclear power plant after the destruction of the nearby Kakhovka dam, whose water was used to cool its six reactors.
“The plant’s management took initial measures to preserve the necessary amount of water, but this will not be enough in the long term,” Grossi warned.
The increased military activity on the front line with the Ukrainian counter-offensive adds “an additional layer of concern to a situation that is extremely volatile because the plant is on the front line,” Grossi recalled.
In the context of combat, “the plant is incredibly fragile and exposed to damage in the event of an exchange of fire,” he added.
On June 22, President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that according to Ukrainian intelligence, Russia had made all preparations for an attack on the power plant, which could lead to a nuclear catastrophe. Grossi assured that “he did not see that type of development” on the ground, but also that “anything can happen, that is what is worrying”.
Surveillance of Iran’s nuclear activities
Grossi also expressed concern about Iran’s nuclear program. According to his latest report, Iran’s enriched uranium reserves have increased by more than a quarter in three months. However, he said: “We have agreed that Iran will collaborate with the agency, limiting some activities, allowing us to add more monitoring capabilities.”
Negotiations for a rehabilitation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), signed in 2015, failed in September 2022 and the Administration of US President Joe Biden appears to be in favor of an informal and unwritten agreement with Tehran.
“Any discussion that leads to de-escalation is welcome,” Grossi said. “If there is some kind of alternative agreement, I hope that we will be invited to verify that the commitments that are made are real and not just a piece of paper,” he concluded.
Source: France 24
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