Nuclear Energy: Risks Increase Around Ukrainian Nuclear Plants

The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, warned that risks are increasing around Ukrainian nuclear power plants due to their proximity to combat zones and power outages. He explained in a press interview during a visit to a specific site for radioactive waste disposal in Bure, eastern France, that "there are many risks that are increasing and will remain until the end of the conflict" in Ukraine. Grossi added that "military activities have increased, and we are seeing through our expert committee in Zaporizhzhia and other Ukrainian plants an increase in surrounding attacks." He addressed the power outages which pose "a risk to the cooling function" of the reactors. In this context, he noted that the International Atomic Energy Agency is trying to have "a deterrent effect on everyone so that a radioactive incident does not add to the misery of this war."