The denial of IAEA experts to enter the reactor halls of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) occupied by Russian aggressors may be an attempt to hide the actual situation at the plant.
Energoatom named the reason for the denial to IAEA for entering the ZNPP reactor halls
The fact that the experts of the Agency's monitoring mission are not allowed to the reactor halls, where the active zones of the reactors are located and spent nuclear fuel is located, may be an attempt by the Russian occupiers to hide the real situation at the ZNPP, Kotin said.
The only way out is complete demilitarisation, de-occupation of the ZNPP and adjacent territories. This is a key prerequisite for the restoration of not only nuclear safety, but also respect for international law, the head of Energoatom stressed.
He reminded that the activities of the occupiers at the ZNPP are carried out in complete disregard of the instructions of "Energoatom".
The only legitimate operator of the ZNPP, the largest nuclear facility in Europe, is Energoatom, so only the return of the plant to the full control of Ukraine can ensure its nuclear and radiation safety, Kotin emphasised.
What is known about ZNPP
On January 3, the IAEA announced that its experts were not allowed to inspect the reactor halls of three of the six power units of the Russian-occupied ZNPP — units 1, 2 and 6.
In the statement, the agency emphasizes that its experts were not allowed into the reactor hall of the power unit in "cold shutdown" for the first time, where the reactor's active zone and spent fuel are located. In addition, last week, as before, access to some parts of the ZNPP machine rooms was restricted, particularly to the premises of units 3, 4 and 6. In addition, IAEA experts are still waiting for the previously promised date of December 19, 2023, but it did not happen to grant access to the roofs of the reactors.
It is noted that five of the six reactors of the ZNPP remain in a "cold shutdown", and the fourth power unit is in a "hot shutdown" for the production of steam and heat, in particular for the nearby Energodar.
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