Experts are seriously concerned about the condition of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), saying that even in an inoperable state the plant poses a threat due to significant degradation of its personnel and maintenance systems. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) insists on the need to transfer control over the facility to Ukraine.
According to Grossi, ZNPP faces a number of problems: lack of qualified personnel, failures in maintenance and inspection of safety systems, as well as problems with logistics.
IAEA Chief Grossi. GETTY IMAGES
Pyotr Kotin, president of Ukraine's NAEK Energoatom, said that since February, 360 employees who refused to work for the occupiers have lost access to the plant. "Our experienced personnel are no longer there. During February, the occupiers withdrew the last of our employees who remained loyal to Ukraine and provided security at the station. They have only eight shift supervisors left - people who are directly responsible for nuclear and radiation safety," he said at the meeting in Kyiv.
Kotin also noted that Russian personnel are unable to reliably operate the plant because they lack the necessary knowledge and licenses required to work with the upgraded nuclear units.
Experts warn of the risks associated with degradation of systems without proper maintenance. The cooling system, important for reactors in cold shutdown, is a particular risk.
Dmytro Gumenyuk, head of safety analysis at the Center for Nuclear and Radiation Safety in Ukraine, is concerned about boric acid leaks, which could lead to increased corrosion of equipment and the threat of an uncontrolled chain reaction.
The IAEA calls for the urgent return of the ZNPP to full Ukrainian control, emphasizing the risks associated with the current situation. In response, the Russian Foreign Ministry rejected the demands, cynically calling them a violation of Russian sovereignty.
