IAEA Director in Kyiv warns of growing nuclear safety threats

"It is clear that the dangers to nuclear safety continue to be very real and ever-present. My teams report that this (referring to June 3 - ed.) was the most intense day of air raid alarms they had experienced since late last year," Grossi emphasized.

According to the IAEA Director, the agency's presence at Ukrainian nuclear facilities remains critically important to preventing a potential disaster. In particular, IAEA expert teams at the operating Khmelnytskyy and Rivne nuclear power plants (NPP) were forced to take shelter three times during a day marked by an exceptionally high number of alerts.

Grossi also highlighted the need to begin preparing now for the restoration of Ukraine's energy infrastructure, a process in which the IAEA can play a significant role.

Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, the agency has been closely monitoring the status and safety of Ukraine's nuclear power plants. A permanent IAEA mission is also deployed at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia NPP, which was shut down for safety reasons.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on social media platform X that any attempt by Russia to restart the plant without Ukraine's involvement is "absurd and dangerous," and called for ensuring unrestricted IAEA access to the facility.

Ukraine receives more than half of its electricity from nuclear energy, and Russian strikes on energy infrastructure have repeatedly threatened the stability of the country's power system.

Grossi's visit to Ukraine

Recently, IAEA Director Rafael Grossi announced that he would visit Kyiv in the coming days amid reports that Russian forces are constructing power lines to connect the Zaporizhzhia NPP to their own power grid.

On Tuesday, June 3, Grossi arrived in Ukraine. He has already met with Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko.