the physical integrity of the nuclear power plant was violated several times

The head of the IAEA, Rafael Grossi, spent several hours on Thursday at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant.

“Obviously, the physical integrity of the power plant was violated several times … This cannot continue,” he told reporters when he returned to Ukrainian-controlled territory.

Grossi said that he was able to walk around the entire nuclear power plant, to see key parts of the plant, such as emergency systems and control rooms. Now his team will analyze the technical aspects of what they saw.

“We are not going anywhere. The IAEA is now there, at the power plant, and the inspectors are not leaving – they will stay there,” Grossi said.

According to him, the experts will provide an unbiased, neutral, technically sound assessment of what is happening at the ZNPP.

A problem that worries the world community is the shelling around the Zaporizhzhya NPP, which can damage the plant and cause radiation leakage. One of the plant’s reactors had to be shut down on Thursday due to shelling.

According to Grossi, he witnessed these attacks.

“There were moments when it was obvious that they were shooting: machine-gun fire, mortars. Two or three times it was really very disturbing, I would say, for all of us,” said the head of the IAEA.