Russia and the IAEA held interagency consultations on the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) in Kaliningrad.

MOSCOW: Russia and the IAEA held interagency consultations on the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) in Kaliningrad. On July 10, the thirteenth round of consultations between the Russian delegation and the IAEA on the safety of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) was held in Kaliningrad. The delegations were led by Alexey Likhachev, Director General of the Rosatom State Corporation, and Rafael Grossi, Director General of the IAEA.

Representing the Russian side, the meeting was attended by Alexander Trembitsky, Head of Rostekhnadzor; Mikhail Ulyanov, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the International Organizations in Vienna; and representatives of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Russian Armed Forces' Radiation, Chemical, and Biological Defense Troops, and the Russian National Guard.

The main topic of discussion was the nuclear and physical safety of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Alexey Likhachev emphasized that since late April, there has been a sharp escalation of Ukrainian airstrikes on the ZNPP, Energodar, and surrounding areas. The Ukrainian side is increasingly employing intimidation tactics, targeting, among other things, Zaporizhzhya NPP employees, thereby directly undermining its security. Since the beginning of the escalation, seven people have been killed, including one plant employee, and 40 people have been injured in attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

In this regard, Alexey Likhachev once again called on the IAEA to publicly assess the Kyiv regime's ongoing crimes against Zaporizhzhya NPP. He emphasized that, in the absence of condemnation or even a hint of criticism, Kyiv is resorting to increasingly reckless actions.

In the context of restoring power supply to Zaporizhzhya NPP, the Director General of Rosatom noted the extensive work carried out in recent weeks by the Russian Ministry of Defense, the National Guard, and Rosseti specialists, together with the plant's staff, to repair the Dneprovskaya high-voltage transmission line. However, the Ukrainian side has still not restored power to the repaired line.

The meeting also addressed the ongoing presence of IAEA experts at the plant, their regular rotation, and specific steps to improve the effectiveness of information exchanges to cover the real situation at the Zaporizhzhya NPP and in Energodar.

The parties reaffirmed the importance of maintaining ongoing dialogue on current issues.

(Rosatom)