publish time

06/02/2024

author name Arab Times

publish time

06/02/2024

Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Mariano Grossi speaks during his interview with The Associated Press, in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Feb. 6. (AP)

KYIV, Ukraine, Feb 6, (AP): Security at Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant remains fragile amid worrying recent staff cuts enacted by Russian authorities occupying the facility, which is one of the 10 biggest atomic power plants in the world, the United Nations nuclear watchdog chief said Tuesday.
International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi, who is in Kyiv, told The Associated Press that his upcoming visit to the plant as the war approaches its two-year milestone will aim to assess the impact of recent personnel reductions after Russia denied access to employees of Ukraine’s Energoatom.
"This huge facility used to have around 12,000 staff. Now, this has been reduced to between 2,000 and 3,000, which is quite a steep reduction in the number of people working there,” Grossi said. "To man, to operate these very sophisticated big installations you need a certain number of people performing different specific functions.”
"So far the situation is stable, but it is a very, very delicate equilibrium,” he said. "So this is why I need to see for myself what is the situation, what are the prospects in terms of staffing, medium-term and long-term as well.”
Grossi's visit coincided with the arrival in the Ukrainian capital of the European Union's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, who said he was there to discuss military aid and financial support as well as Ukraine’s ambition of joining the bloc.
The 27 EU countries agreed last week to provide Ukraine with 50 billion euros ($54 billion) in support for its ailing economy. But the EU's military backing is falling short, leaving Ukraine's forces grappling with ammunition shortages while Russia uses its economic muscle to keep up the pressure with probing ground and air attacks.
At the same time, a question mark remains over further help for Ukraine from the United States, its biggest supplier.
That has made the early months of this year a critical juncture for Ukraine, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has indicated he is mulling a broad shake-up of the country's leadership to bring "fresh energy” to the fight.
The IAEA has repeatedly expressed alarm about the Zaporizhzhia facility amid fears of a potential nuclear catastrophe. The plant has repeatedly been caught in the crossfire since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb 24, 2022, and seized the facility shortly after.
The plant’s six reactors have been shut down for months, but it still needs power and qualified staff to operate crucial cooling systems and other safety features.