Ukrainian Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal held a phone conversation with Rafael Grossi, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). During the dialogue, serious risks arising from potential massive strikes by Russia on the country’s energy infrastructure were discussed, particularly concerning the facilities and networks that support the operation of Ukrainian nuclear power plants.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Ukraine and the IAEA Prepare Joint Actions to Protect Nuclear Power Plants
As a result of the negotiations, the parties agreed to promptly convene the heads of the nuclear power plants, as well as the leaders of the IAEA missions operating at Ukrainian energy facilities. Shmyhal and Grossi also agreed on the necessity of organizing an extraordinary meeting of the agency’s governing board to assess the consequences of Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy system.
“The IAEA is preparing a new mission of agency experts to Ukrainian nuclear power plants, including Zaporizhzhia, and substations whose operations affect the functioning of nuclear facilities. I am grateful for this decision,” he added.
The IAEA is Preparing an Assessment of the Impact of Russian Attacks, Ukraine Calls for Strengthening Missions
Rafael Grossi reported that the IAEA is already preparing a report and methodology to assess the impact of Russian attacks on the operation of Ukrainian nuclear power plants. The Energy Minister emphasized the strategic necessity of the continued presence of the agency’s expert missions at the country’s energy facilities.
At the same time, Denys Shmyhal stressed the inadmissibility of relocating IAEA missions to temporarily occupied regions of Ukraine through the territory of the Russian Federation.
Currently, neither the IAEA nor Rafael Grossi has officially commented on this meeting in the public domain.
Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Russia is trying to destabilize the situation at Ukrainian nuclear power plants. According to the Main Intelligence Directorate, Russia is considering scenarios for strikes on nuclear power plant substations in order to force Ukraine to sign capitulation demands to end the war.