The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, intends to visit the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) with a capacity of 6 GW as soon as the opportunity arises.
"I will go to the Zaporizhzhia NPP as quickly as I can. As you know, this operation requires coordination with Ukraine and Russia, as well as comprehensive military protection to ensure it is safe," he told reporters in Kyiv on Tuesday following a visit to one of the energy substations.
Grossi noted that he has been to the ZNPP five times and plans to continue his visits.
In response to a question from reporters about whether IAEA experts have access to the ZNPP facilities, the agency's director general stated that when issues arise regarding access, the IAEA works to resolve them.
"If at any point there are restrictions, we try to discuss and obtain the necessary access. Therefore, I believe that although our presence (at the ZNPP - ER) is not always ideal, we see important things that we need to see," Grossi assured.
"It is important, I think, that we continue this activity," he emphasized.
As reported, on Tuesday, February 4, the 11th visit by IAEA Director General Grossi to Ukraine since the onset of Russia's full-scale aggression is taking place. The day before, he mentioned that as part of the visit, he would be visiting the "Kyiv 750 kV" substation, which he described as critically important for Ukraine's nuclear energy.
During the briefing, he stated that he is scheduled to visit Moscow later this week because it is necessary to "keep communication channels open."
The visit to Ukraine includes a meeting between Grossi and President Volodymyr Zelensky, where they plan to discuss the completion of the construction of Units 3 and 4 of the Khmelnytsky Nuclear Power Plant.
Grossi himself referred to this decision as an internal matter for Ukraine.