Experts with the UN’s nuclear watchdog are pushing for more access to the rooftops of two reactors at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), where the Ukrainian military says Russian forces have planted explosives.
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The director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on July 7 said that while its experts have gained some additional access to areas of the ZNPP, they still need more, including to the rooftops of reactor units three and four and parts of the turbine halls.
“Following our requests, our experts have gained some additional access at the site. So far, they have not seen any mines or explosives,” Rafael Grossi said in a statement, adding that he remains hopeful that the access will be granted soon.
Speaking in Japan, where Grossi was wrapping up a four-day visit on July 7, the director-general said he has been pushing for as much access as possible.
“I'm optimistic that we are going to be able to go up and see" the rooftops of the reactors, he said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy this week reiterated warnings that Russia is planning provocations at the Russian-occupied facility, and the Ukrainian military said on July 4 that explosive devices had been placed on the roof of the third and fourth power units.
British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly called on July 7 for the IAEA to be granted "full access to inspect the plant and ensure nuclear safety and security."
Russia must not further endanger the safety of the ZNPP, Cleverly said on Twitter.
Grossi said the IAEA experts on site at the Russian-occupied plant -- the largest in Europe -- in recent days had inspected parts of the facility and continued to conduct regular walking inspections across the site. They were able on July 6 to check a wider section of the perimeter of the ZNPP’s large cooling pond than previously possible, he said.
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This included a visit to the isolation gate separating the cooling pond from what remains of the Kakhovka reservoir after the destruction of the dam a month ago. The gate has been reinforced with counterweights and sand and there appeared to be no leakage of water from the pond, Grossi said.
Grossi, who has repeatedly sounded the alarm about the potential that shelling near the plant could cause damage, has stressed the importance of the IAEA team checking all parts of the ZNPP to monitor full compliance with principles for protecting it and preventing a nuclear accident.