The head of the UN nuclear agency says he will not abandon a plan to create a protection zone around the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant in Ukraine and hopes to go to Ukraine and Russia soon to push for an agreement.
Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), told reporters at the United Nations in New York on September 21 that the situation at the plant "is still getting worse and we can't wait for something regrettable to happen."
Grossi said he was now entering "real negotiations" with both countries and wanted an agreement on a protection zone as soon as possible.
"Even in the worst of conditions diplomacy should never stop. We can't throw our hands up and say look at what's being said, go away and hope that something will happen to solve this situation," Grossi said. "It's our responsibility to do it by proposing pragmatic, realistic, and physical proposals on the table."
Grossi held separate talks in New York on September 21 with Ukrainian officials and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
Issues being discussed include the radius of the protection zone and the role of two IAEA officials currently stationed at the plant.
SEE ALSO: Ukraine Accuses Russia Of Attacking Another Nuclear PlantRussia and Ukraine have blamed each other for shelling at Zaporizhzhya, Europe's biggest nuclear power plant.
Shelling on September 21 damaged cables providing essential electricity to one of the reactors, temporarily forcing the unit to run on emergency diesel generators before external power was restored, the IAEA said.
The power lines ensure that the plant can cool nuclear fuel rods and waste, which is essential to prevent a meltdown.
Grossi has voiced alarm over shelling in the past that he said damaged buildings close to the plant's six reactors and risked nuclear catastrophe. He has noted that it is the first time in history that an active nuclear power plant has been caught in a war zone.
Russian forces took over the plant soon after launching their invasion of Ukraine in February, but Ukrainian technicians operate the power station.
The Ukrainian state agency in charge of the plant said earlier on September 21 that the power plant came under Russian fire overnight, causing a disruption of power at the facility.
In a statement released on social media on September 21, Enerhoatom said the shelling had damaged equipment of the only working reactor -- Unit No. 6 -- at the plant.
"Due to the loss of power, there was an emergency start-up of two diesel generators of the safety systems to ensure the operation of the fuel cooling pumps," Enerhoatom said in a post on Telegram.
On September 20 in the nearby Russian-occupied city of Enerhodar, shelling damaged a cooling system, a dining hall for staff, and an unspecified "special building," the city administration said in a statement. There were no further details about the damage.