Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), will visit Kyiv on Feb. 4 to hold high-level meetings on preventing nuclear accidents during wartime.
The IAEA serves as the nuclear safety watchdog for the United Nations. The agency has had a rotating mission at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant since September 2022.
The visit marks Grossi's 11th mission to Ukraine since the launch of Russia's full-scale invasion, the IAEA said in a statement on Jan. 30.
"As long as this horrific war continues, the IAEA will remain present and stay active, focused on doing everything we can to support nuclear safety and security in extremely challenging circumstances," Grossi said.
"As the overall situation is still precarious and fragile, our work there remains essential."
Ukraine relies on nuclear power for more than half of its energy production, which is increasingly in demand as Russian attacks pummel Ukraine's energy infrastructure.
The IAEA sent teams of experts to monitor other nuclear facilities in Ukraine in mid-December 2024, amid Russia's large-scale attacks on the country's power grid. In addition to the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, monitors are currently based at the Khmelnytskyi, Rivne, South Ukraine, and Chornobyl nuclear plants.
The agency has warned that military activity near the sites, particularly in Zaporizhzhia, increases the risk of nuclear disaster.
According to the IAEA's report on Jan. 30, a power line at the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant was disconnected on Jan. 29 due to "unspecified military activity." Other facilities in Ukrainian-controlled territory were affected by air raid alerts and nearby drones.
At the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, the IAEA teams reported daily explosions but no damage to the plant itself.
Martin Fornusek
(Updated: )
